A survey by CareerBuilder showed that 70% of employers use social media sites to find candidates for recruitment. But how important is a social media profile? Forty-seven percent recruiters say that they are less likely to contact a candidate for an interview if the candidate cannot be found online. In fact, 20 % expect candidates to have an online presence. Thus, having a social media presence could boost your visibility to recruiters, making this an important reason to use social media strategically.

Can Social Media Land You a Job?

Research supports the strategy of using social media to find a job. A report published by Clutch in 2019 states that 14% of respondents who were hired in the earlier six months had got their jobs through social media. So, maintaining an active social media presence might be a good plan.

A recent survey by Jobvite shows that 35% of job seekers use social media to find out about job opportunities. But there is a lot more you can do. One of the advantages of using social media to find a job is that a well-structured social media presence can help demonstrate to recruiters who you are and what you can offer a future employer far better than your résumé can. Implementing the unique features of social media platforms and using best practices are smart strategies that may help you find a job that suits your abilities and ambitions.

Why do Recruiters/Employers Use Social Media to Recruit?

It’s not just job seekers — employers use social media too. One of the top ways that companies grow their employer brand is through social media. Social media enable recruiters to find quality hires by targeting talent, engaging candidates and evaluating applicants. A 2018 recruiter survey found that 77% of recruiters preferred LinkedIn for recruitment efforts, while 63% used Facebook and 25% used Instagram.

By researching social media profiles, hiring professionals can expand their recruiting pool, find individuals with suitable qualifications, assess if they are a good fit and correspond with them. Research shows that half of employers who research potential candidates using social media check if the individual has a professional online persona. Around 58% look for information that supports the candidate’s qualifications for the job and about 34% also look up what other people are posting about the individual.

Here are examples of what recruiters look for in candidates’ profiles on social media:

• Qualifications for the job
• The average length of tenure at past companies
• How long the candidate has worked in their current role
• Industry-related posts
• Engagement in local or national organizations
• Examples of written or design work
• Mutual connections in the industry
• Personality traits that may be an asset

Recruiters may also screen candidates’ social media profiles for evidence of undesirable behaviors such as posting inappropriate content, profanity, political rants, evidence of drug or alcohol use, errors in spelling and grammar and so on.

How Can Social Media Help You Get a Job?

Here are a few social media tips for job seekers.

• Choose a social media platform based on your target industry. For example, Instagram may be preferred by industries focused on creative or visual skills while other employers may use LinkedIn.
• Include a recent photograph of yourself to lend a recognizable face to your profile.
• Create a profile that showcases your experience, expertise and the aspects of your personality that would make you an asset to a future employer.
• Follow companies in your field.
• Engage with other people who work in your industry, contribute to conversations and build genuine relationships.
• Ask trusted individuals you’ve previously worked with for recommendations on LinkedIn.
• Research and write industry-related blog posts on platforms like LinkedIn to build your credibility in the industry. Use keywords and hashtags that professionals in your field talk about and follow.
• Establish yourself as a valuable resource by sharing content and information, making introductions and answering queries.
• You could also use social management tools such as IFTTT, Hootsuite and Twitter lists to find job opportunities and manage your job hunting.
• Set up a curated portfolio to highlight your skills and experience. Link it to your profile. You could also use social media to create teasers that link back to your portfolio or website.
• Always ensure you use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation. This can surely help you create a good impression.

Learn about Social Media With an Online Degree

It’s an increasingly competitive labor market. Social media are like a marketplace where companies can promote their values and culture and engage with audiences and potential candidates — much like a marketer might engage with customers. Candidates too need to effectively market themselves as valuable future employees by showcasing their skills and experience. Therefore, whether you are a recruiter or a job seeker, it is essential to develop your communication and presentation skills to make an impact on social media. You could explore pursuing online degrees that could help you improve your social media marketing abilities for professional purposes. Many schools offer online degrees in communication and media that could help you craft an effective corporate campaign for your company on social media or a professional message for your personal profile. An online degree in advertising too could equip you with the skills to promote your company or your personal brand to target audiences on social media.