In this digital age, social media has found its place in many aspects of our lives, from connecting us with friends around the world to informing us of current events, to even securing us employment. Many underestimate the power of social media when searching for a job, but it is important to understand how you can leverage your social media presence to get as many opportunities as possible. In fact, a study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that a whopping 77% of employers have used social media sites for hires. Thus, your social media profiles should be a great consideration in your job search. Nobody wants to miss out on their dream job because they weren’t looking in the right place.

When looking at your social media, here are some important things to consider:

Have a complete profile

One great app to utilize in your job search is LinkedIn. This app allows you to build connections and network with other professionals, students, and companies in your community, and around the world. However, your profile on this app, or other apps in general, will not be nearly as effective if they aren’t complete. 

Some important things to include in your profile are your employment history, education, and skills relevant to the jobs you’re seeking. Think about how a recruiter might feel checking a profile with an employment history that ended two years ago and a blinding white space where relevant skills should be. It is also important that you highlight the skills and accomplishments that you feel will benefit the specific employers you are hoping to attract. Maybe your first place win at last year’s pie-eating contest won’t be an effective use of space in your accomplishments section if you are looking for a finance position, but including your successful planning of a fundraiser that raised $500 for your club could really impress recruiters.

A professional headshot could also be helpful in putting a face to your name. Make sure that you keep your profile professional though; you can save your vacation photos from two years ago for another time. 

You may also consider setting up a professional Facebook account. Some may consider this (an unfortunately) dying platform, but it could really be a great tool for those searching for creative jobs. You can use this account to share about yourself, link your portfolio, share posts from industries you’re interested in, and widen your network with the array of social groups on the site.

Update your profile frequently

Along with creating your profile, it is also crucial that you are constantly updating your information to be consistent with your experience. Staying active on your social media by sharing posts, engaging with others’ content, and providing updates allows you to put your best foot forward. You can showcase your growth and development and flex your new promotions. Maybe your interests have changed, and maybe you have started a new position—that’s great! Share that on your profile and let recruiters see the most authentic and updated version of you. 

Also make sure that your information is consistent between your profiles and other areas online. Large discrepancies in your timelines and jobs can scream red flag to recruiters and potential employers.

Follow the right people

If you are interested in working for specific companies, it is great to follow them on apps like LinkedIn. This way, you can get to learn more about them, their culture, and their projects from afar, and see if that company is a place where you would actually want to work. Some companies will even advertise vacancies on their social media, so when an opportunity does come along, you’ll be the first to know!

It could also be helpful to join career-specific groups on these apps. There, you can network with people with similar career interests and learn from their valuable insights. These can also be hubs for finding opportunities that might not be advertised on regular job forums. 

You should also not feel pressured in any way to connect with just anyone—find what you have in common and decide if a connection will provide mutual benefit! Quality is always better than quantity.

Check your online presence frequently

Once in a while, it might also be helpful to do a Google search of yourself. Oftentimes, people forget that what they share on social media can reach a large (and unplanned) audience, especially if they have no idea how to work their privacy settings. In addition, what you think you’re sharing with the world might just be a tiny fraction of your online presence. For instance, the photos you are tagged in are forever tethered to you, even if you did not post them yourself.

So if you don’t like what you see, you can change it and make sure what exists of you on your favorite search engine is squeaky clean before a potential employer even has the time to type in the first syllable of your name. 

I hope these tips are helpful in your search to find a job! Below are the original articles I read and some more links you can check out for more information!