23 August 2023 
3 mins to read Social media has reached every nook and cranny. It has created a major impact, especially during the pandemic when we were cooped up in our homes.
A major positive of social media is the ease it had brought in to job searching. Gone are the days where we had to check the print media for walk-in interviews in the hopes of landing a good job. You can now search for jobs online using your digital devices and social media helps you tremendously.
We are here to enlighten you on the role that social media plays in job searching.
How to begin your job search?
1) First and foremost, create a profile on all professional social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Opportunity, AngelList, Xing, etc. Keep your profiles formal and neat.
2) Follow companies that professionally align with you. Follow industrial leaders to get updates on all the latest information and happenings in your industry.
What should be on your social media?
If you are a fresh graduate, add your education details with all of your accomplishments, awards, trainings/courses completed.
If you have work experience, add all the information about your role, any awards you obtained during that tenure, your special/most difficult projects that you had handled successfully and your USP. This is the place where you sell yourself/your work and skill set, so make yourself shine. But keep in mind to be honest. Do not embellish facts, just to look good.
Also, keep your profile clean. Do not post controversial matters such as politics, religious texts, jokes that are racist, sexist, etc. Any post or photo/video that may be unbecoming of you, it is better to remove them all from your professional social media accounts. A future employer viewing your profile will not be impressed by them, rather find them distasteful.
What should you look for on social media?
Not only is your social media presence critical to your job search, the profiles of the companies you are applying to also hold importance.
Take time and browse through their profiles, their websites and find out about their history, the board members, their management team, their values and ethics, their CSR activities, how inclusive they are in hiring their employees, etc. Choose jobs that align with you and submit applications to those companies.
Also, to get more insight into how companies treat their employees, their salary structure, employee benefits and policies read through their profiles on Glassdoor and similar websites. Current and previous employees would have given their opinions and experiences. You can gather what you need to know from these narratives.
Online networking:
We mentioned in our earlier post how networking can be a game changer in building your career. While networking is done personally at professional gatherings and meet-ups, it is possible to network exclusively online.
Check for people that work in the companies you have shortlisted and connect with them on professional social media platforms. Find out if there are any vacancies in their organization and send in your résumé, along with a cover letter as to why you aspire to work with them/their company. This would lend a personal touch to your application. Be sure to include any pertinent information that could help your application stand out. Finally, make sure to follow up with the company on your application status.
Hope you utilize social media in your job search and land your dream job soon. Best wishes from the 1SF Team.
