7 Ways to Use Social Media to Find a New Job

Fun fact: the average person will spend five years and four months of her life on social media. That’s more time than she’ll spend eating (three years, five months) or socializing in-person (one year, three months). So yes, that’s a lot of double-tapping.

If those stats make you want to plunge headfirst into a digital detox, hold it. Not all social media behavior is created equal, and there are some simple ways to make your time on those platforms work for you, not against you. This is where the social media job hunt comes in.

As we’ve evolved to spend more and more time online, recruiters and staffing agencies have followed suit. According to a 2018 survey, about 70% of employers now use social media to screen job applicants (up from 2017)—and a whopping 47% said they wouldn’t call an applicant in for an interview if they couldn’t find them online. When it comes to landing the dream gig, you need to be thinking about your social media profiles.

Here are a few tips for using your feed to find a new job. Because if you’re going to scroll, you might as well make it productive, right?

  1. Add your personal portfolio website to every profile.

In addition to a resume, more and more companies expect candidates to have online portfolios that clearly outline their past work (especially if you work in a creative field). If you have one, you should include it on all of your public social profiles. That way people can explore your work and reach out to you if they’re interested in hiring you.

  1. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is totally up-to-date.

Yes, LinkedIn qualifies as a social media platform…so are you using it in the smartest way possible? There are some key tricks to help up your LinkedIn profile strategy to land more interviews, and the best profiles incorporate all of them. You can turn on a feature that lets recruiters know you’re open to opportunities and even follow your favorite companies to get notified whenever they post a new opening. If you haven’t updated your profile in a while, now’s the time. And speaking of following companies…

  1. Follow companies you’d love to work for on every channel.

Not just LinkedIn. A lot of companies will post “We’re hiring!” announcements on their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts, so following them means you’ll find out first before anyone else.

It never hurts to engage with other sorts of posts they share, either. You’ll start to build rapport with the marketing team behind those social media posts so that when you do get an interview, you can say something like “I’ve been following you on Instagram for a while now. Actually, I talked to your team about XYZ last week!”

  1. Use your Instagram or Twitter to showcase your perspective and vibe.

Cool companies are looking for candidates who are also a culture fit, so many of them will look up social media profiles to get a read on someone’s personality in advance of an interview. Make sure that your accounts are thoughtful and ready for public consumption (if they’re not set to private). That means your Instagram feed can’t be full of disorderly nights out. (Thankfully, there’s an “archive” option now!) You can also use Twitter to follow different people in your industry and weigh in on whatever topics are trending. This is a great way to prove to potential employers that you know their stuff.

  1. Connect with people whose jobs you admire—and ask for informational interviews.

Before we get into this tip, let’s get one thing out of the way: Don’t slide into people’s DMs randomly and without context. But do reach out to people you admire in a thoughtful, professional way. That means doing some research on their job title and background, requesting they connect on LinkedIn with a note about why, and then asking if you could chat by phone with them about their career for 20-30 minutes. You’re not meeting with them to ask for a job, but rather to ask for insights into the industry and their advice to someone more junior. That said, most people land jobs through someone they know (or through job recruitment agencies, staffing firms, or recruiters who know people), so the more people you meet with and impress, the faster your network with return the favor.

  1. Follow job recruitment agencies near you.

Did you know that Star Staffing has an Instagram? We have a LinkedIn and Twitter, too. Many staffing agencies have some format of online presence—and following them is a great way to hear about new opportunities fast.

  1. Let your social network know you’re looking.

Remember how we said that most people find work through people they know? That only happens if you tell people you’re looking for new opportunities. So, throw up an Instagram story or post a few tweets about how you’re on the job market, including some of your best skills and what type of work you’re seeking. You might be surprised who you hear from—often, it’s someone you didn’t know was hiring.

 

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ABOUT STAR STAFFING

With over 20 years in the staffing industry, Star Staffing has thrived as a top temporary staffing agency recognized multiple years by Forbes for our excellent service. Star Staffing supports multiple industries including food and wine, events and hospitality, warehouse and distribution, and more. As the economy heals, we look forward to maintaining our promise: We are here when you need us.

Star Staffing is a full-service workforce solutions firm. We focus on making the best match between employee and employer. With offices throughout Northern California including Sacramento, Fairfield, Napa, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa, Star Staffing is just a phone call or click away.