Social media websites have become an increasingly popular avenue for finding job opportunities, thanks to people sharing updates on life and career developments. Pay attention to what’s happening with your friends and colleagues to discover opportunities that may be relevant to you. Here are a few things to remember when you're hunting for job opportunities on social media.
Tweaking Facebook.
Since you're going to graduate and leave the school life behind you, it's time to turn your Facebook profile into something more presentable. The Undercover Recruiter explained that you might use Facebook to your advantage by sprucing up your appearance to would-be managers.1 There may be photos on your account from an earlier time when you cared little about your personal/professional image. Presenting yourself as a more professional and mature individual might make you more appealing to some companies.2 See our blog, “The Interview You Never Knew You Had” to learn more about this important topic.3
Finding companies.
While managers may use Facebook to find you, you can flip the tables and use the site to find them as well. In the Digital Age, many companies have pages acting as a marketing tool for their products and services. There could also be links to career opportunities that interest you.
Get LinkedIn.
Although you should be sending out résumés and cover letters on your own, How Stuff Works suggested that having a professional online profile, like LinkedIn.com, might keep you more active in the job hunt.4 This is an ideal website for job seekers and employers in the social media category.
Going mobile.
The rapid expansion of mobile technology has left job seekers with the ability to job hunt even when they're on the go. When you're busy in nursing school with a range of classes and assignments, you may not always have the time to sit down at your desk and apply to new jobs. Learning how to use your mobile device and a few job search apps could be a quick path to securing an interview. Idealist Careers stated that being able to use your tablet or smartphone to search for open positions may be crucial to finding work after graduation.5
You might be surprised at how many opportunities you come across when you browse social media with your career in mind. If you set aside even thirty minutes every several days to check up on social media job leads, you’ll be glad you did. Ask your friends if they know of anyone who found a job through social media. You’re likely to hear more than one success story.