Are you in search of new job opportunities? If so, you can use social media tools to help you find open positions.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss how you can use social media tools to find open positions and how these tools can help you stand out from the crowd.
Table of Contents
Social Media Tools Can You Use To Find Open Positions
Networking is one of the most important components of job searching, and it’s one of the top ways job seekers can get hired. Whether it’s networking in-person or online, or using social media to grow your career, there are many ways social networking can help you get hired.
Jobvite’s 2019 Job Seeker Nation Survey reports that 50% of respondents heard about jobs from friends, 37% say they also learn about open positions from professional networks, and 35% found out about jobs from social media.1
According to Monster.com, 80% of employers are using social media as a recruitment tool.2 Jobvite’s 2020 Recruiter Nation Survey reports that social media channels most used for recruiting are LinkedIn (72%), Facebook (60%), Twitter (38%), Instagram (37%), Glassdoor (36%), and YouTube (27%).3
You can also create and cultivate a personal brand using social networking sites, building a strategic online presence to help with your job searching and career growth.
One reason that employers tap social media is to court passive candidates (those not actively seeking employment). That means that even if you’re not looking for a new job right this second, it makes sense to use these top social and professional networking sites to enhance your career.4
Social Networking Sites for Job Seekers
With about 800 million current users, LinkedIn is a top spot for people looking for work.5
However, many users don’t take the necessary steps to maximize their chances, including optimizing their profile, creating their network, joining groups, incorporating work samples, and accumulating recommendations and endorsements.
Make sure that you reach out to first-, second-, and third-degree connections for information, advice, and introductions to hiring managers.
Join professional groups related to your interests and contribute to discussions to enhance your visibility as a potential candidate.
LinkedIn is also a great resource for accessing job postings. The search results include a listing of jobs that correspond to your interests and also a list of individuals in your network who might be able to refer you to relevant jobs.
Alumni from your college who are working at the employers’ advertising jobs will also be noted on your results list.
Many employers will place job advertisements on Facebook. You can find these opportunities by searching for “Jobs on Facebook” in the search window on the site. However, the greatest value of Facebook is the opportunity to solicit the assistance of your contacts with your job search.
Ask if your contacts are aware of any jobs related to your interests, and also request that your friends provide referrals to any people whom they know in your field for advice and information relevant to your job transition.
Join groups of people with common interests and network with them.
Be careful how you proceed if you are currently employed and have Facebook contacts who might report your activity to your employer.
Instagram is a good way to establish your personal brand while demonstrating your social media skills and enhancing your overall digital presence. It’s also a smart way to glean information and insights about a company where you might want to work.
Did an employee post a picture of “massage Mondays,” and you’re a corporate masseuse? Does a company showcase a “Fajita Fridays” special, and you’re a Mexican chef?
Instagram is a great way to see inside a company to demonstrate later how you’d be a good fit.
Instagram also provides a vehicle for you to post visual representations related to your professional or academic projects.
Pinterest reports millions of active monthly users. The site will be most useful for creative types like interior decorators, artists, and graphic designers who can post visual representations of their work.
TikTok
You can find plenty of job search advice on TikTok using hashtags such as #jobsearch and #careertok. Job seekers can also use TikTok as an application tool and for sharing video resumes.
Active Twitter users can develop and promote their professional brand by posting information of interest to individuals in their field. One benefit of Twitter is the free-flowing communication that allows you to talk directly to recruiters and hiring managers without the need to submit a resume first. Search for #recruiters and other keywords related to your industry.
However, while Twitter is an excellent networking tool, you need to support your efforts with a blog or LinkedIn profile. No one will hire you simply based on a Twitter profile though. To start, they’ll need a link (in your bio) providing them with more information about you.
YouTube
YouTube is an excellent vehicle for incorporating video samples of your work, as well as evidence of your communication skills or personality into your job search. Of course, musicians, actors, teachers, consultants, and trainers have used the site for years to promote their skills. Many other job seekers can benefit from creating a video profile that showcases their persona and demonstrates their career-related skills.
Examples might include an “elevator pitch” summarizing your interests and assets targeted towards a career field of interest or a brief show-and-tell regarding a successful academic or work project.
YouTube boasts a user base of billions of individuals. Jobseekers can post videos on YouTube to attract the attention of employers or link YouTube videos to their job search communications or other social media sites like LinkedIn or Facebook.
best career networking sites
1. Meetup
Meetup is a cool platform that allows you to seek out (or create!) local meetups. When you register, you mark your interests.
Meetup will then notify you of any local meetups that you might be interested in, as they are created. The meetups span a wide variety of topics from professional topics to hobbies and everything between.
If you don’t find one that you’re interested in, or one that works with your schedule, you can set one up and Meetup will notify anyone that has identified your topic as something that is of interest to them.
It’s a great way to bring like-minded people together, locally.
2. Xing
Xing is a professional network that is similar to LinkedIn. After signing up, you can join groups with like-minded professionals to network and share ideas.
You can stay on top of the latest news in your industry and identify relevant seminars, conferences, and tradeshows.
You can post jobs, search jobs, and research companies. Xing is more prominent in Europe than in the U.S., but is used by people in over 200 countries.
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It is free to use but you can unlock additional features with a premium membership, similar to LinkedIn.
3. Bark
Bark is designed to connect local professionals with people who are seeking their services.
Looking for a professional’s assistance? You can cut down on search time by using Bark.
Bark will reach out to professionals in your area and circle back with estimates. Even more valuable, you can set up your own profile and be paired with prospects that are seeking out the services that you offer.
4. Opportunity
Opportunity is a networking site that prides itself on “professional matchmaking.” It strives to connect people based upon their needs.
For instance, users can be notified each time someone in their target market indicates that they need what the user offers.
Likewise, users can be notified of relevant employment opportunities. In addition, professionals can discover other professionals based upon the preferences they select (e.g., age, gender, interests, personality).
5. Jobcase
Jobcase is pretty unique in that it has been powering over 100 popular job sites since 2009.
Because of that, Jobcase has access to a wealth of data about open roles and the companies that are currently hiring for roles that you might be interested in.
So how does it work?
With Jobcase, you can set up a profile and get access to a huge database of jobs. In addition, you can join groups, or peruse the community to participate in discussions.
Jobcase boasts over 80 million users, so there are plenty of discussions to join in on!
6. Lunchmeet
Lunchmeet is a mobile app. This is a valuable tool to identify local professionals with similar interests (similar to Meetup.com).
What makes Lunchmeet unique is that you use it to identify one other local professional to meet for coffee or lunch, as opposed to pulling in a crowd.
With Lunchmeet, you can set up your availability for an impromptu meeting and find other local professionals with availability during those time slots.
7. Community Forums
One of the easiest, and yet most overlooked, networking opportunities are in community forums.
Interested in Google Ads? Check out the Google Ads forum.
Bing Ads? Check out the Bing Ads forum.
Not so much interested in ads? The Google Webmaster Central Forum might be more your speed.
The forums are a great way to ask questions and to share your experience with others that are seeking input. The forums stay active and are frequented by many knowledgeable people.
8. Twitter Threads
Believe it or not, some of the best industry networking that I’ve been privileged to stumble upon has come from some really great Twitter communities!
The especially great thing about these is that: they are public, they are free, they are active, and they can be really supportive.
New members are welcomed and people are encouraged to share their questions and struggles. Plus, it’s just fun to talk shop with others who get it.
I’ve made a lot of lasting connections on Twitter, which have led to a variety of career opportunities from speaking at industry events to client referrals and more.
Digital marketers can find relevant content on #PPCchat, #FBadsChat #SEOchat, #SEOtalk, #SEMrushChat, #HootChat, #SproutChat, #socialROI, and #contentwritingchat – just to name a few.
9. Reddit
Although Reddit has a strong reputation for being the source of many-a-meme, it’s also so much more than that.
Reddit hosts a huge span of micro-communities, including r/PPC for paid search and r/SEO for, you guessed it, SEO.
Like Twitter, the communities are completely free to join and public to peruse. Simply visit https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/ or https://www.reddit.com/r/PPC/ and you’ll see a list of topics.
You can reply to existing posts or create your own; just sign-up for a free Reddit account if you want to partake in the action.
Not interested in SEO or PPC? No problem.
Reddit has a huge list of topics. There’s something for everyone.
10. Slack
Slack receives some mixed reviews and it’s no surprise why: there are several Slack communities that can add a lot of value.
On the other hand, it can also be really distracting. Nearly every other networking community in this list is browser-based (with the exception of Lunchmeet).
Slack is a messenger-based mobile app and desktop application, where each community has a mix of public threads and the option to DM anyone else in the community.
I’m a fan, because I’ve joined some great communities, met great people, and have even created working relationships all through Slack.
However, if you find yourself easily distracted by IMs and mobile/desktop notifications, Slack might not be the best option.
Note: it is possible to adjust your notifications in the settings to help mitigate the distraction.
If interested in finding a Slack community, a quick Google search for “’Insert Topic Here’ + Slack Community” usually turns up several options.
It’s also easy and free to create your own Slack community and invite your friends.
Conclusion
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