Is Facebook the perfect platform for finding jobs? This can really be an interesting question to ask in light of the fact that allowing social media platforms like Facebook at work usually drives down the productivity to a significant extent. So, when someone says that Facebook can be used to find jobs, it might sound more like an oxymoron. But it has been observed that this social media platform is becoming more and more relevant when it comes to job search. As much as 93% employers use social media for recruitment.
Facebook has its own job board, which is quite a competitor for LinkedIn. Besides, this is also likely to be a great platform for recruitment for the employers. So, if you are planning to go for a new job, there's no reason you should wait anymore before using Facebook for job search.
But searching for jobs on Facebook isn't just a piece of cake. You need to follow certain steps to get effective results from your job search endeavors on Facebook.
Here's a quick look at some of the best ways you can start your job search on Facebook.
Complete Your Profile
This is the first thing you need to do. Most of the users prefer not to take the pain of filling up any field in the form that's not mandatory. But if you are eager to land a job through Facebook, you need to have a complete profile on the platform. Convey to the companies a clear idea about what you do. This significantly increases the chances of landing a new job through Facebook. It's essential for you to fill up the area that requires your professional history as well. Having all the professional information on Facebook will help you reach out to the employers who recruit from Facebook. Besides, having a complete profile on Facebook makes you 'Google-able'. And that's what the employers look for.
Categorize Friends as Professional and Personal
You might be having a long list of friends on Facebook. But surely not all of them are relevant to your job search efforts. So, you need to categorize the friends from the list. You can get them under different lists. You can create a new list, such as 'Professional' and bring those people under this list who might help you in finding your dream job. You can share some part of your personal life on Facebook with these people as well. But be prudent while doing that, as the focus should always be on finding the right job. So, if you want to share some idea that might boost you as a professional, customize to share it with your professional contacts.
Share Content Relevant to Your Job
What do you share on Facebook? Only some humorous pictures and videos? If you are planning to use this social media website for a professional purpose, you need to be selective about sharing as well. You might share a few personal posts with all your friends. But for your professional contacts, make the post relevant to the job profile for which you are planning to apply. You can use some content and share it with your contacts. Make sure to read the content created by other people and comment there. This will also increase your professional engagement on Facebook, which will help significantly in your job search.
Build an Effective Network
No matter how you are planning to go about searching jobs on Facebook, you need to have a network. And the larger it is, the more help you will get while searching for a new job. Try to create posts that interest the audience. Engage in conversation with them and let them know your strengths. Besides, you can also ask them to let you know about some relevant vacancies.
Ask Friends for Referrals
Referrals can be a great way to find a job. In fact, job referral are really effective if you are looking for a change. Share in your posts that you are looking for a change. Let your friends know the type of job that you are looking for. Ask them to refer you for some relevant vacancies in their companies, if you want to get a job there. Besides, you should also ask them to notify you if they come to know about some requirement somewhere else as well.
Follow Facebook Page of Companies You Want to Work In
There must be a few companies where you would really like to work. Almost all of these companies must be having their Facebook pages. The companies usually share a lot of their news and activities on these pages. Like those pages and follow their activities and posts on a regular basis. This will help you understand the type of work they do. And thus, it will be easy for you to groom yourself in a perfect manner to be the right applicant for these jobs.
Join Groups on Relevant Topics
There are several groups on Facebook that deal with several topics. Find a group that discusses on the topics relevant to your job profile. Besides, also try to find a group that discusses various vacancies in different companies related to that profile. It will help you remain aware of the requirements that the companies are having. Thus, you can know about those openings from Facebook and apply for those posts.
Even a few years back, LinkedIn was the only social media platform that was considered to be fit for job seekers. But with time, Facebook has emerged as its major competitors. And with a perfect blend of personal and professional in the profile, this platform is expected to become the most important haunt for job seekers in near future.