Facebook has evolved into far more than a social media site. It can serve as a venue to support personal and professional initiatives, not the least of which is finding yourself a job.
LinkedIn with its 175 million members has long been considered the most important networking site for job development. And it remains a vital employment resource for any professional. Facebook, though, with over a billion members, has developed into an employment resource coequal to that of LinkedIn. Facebook users are active, with over 728 million a day logging on. Facebook’s expanding reach can be seen in the growing numbers of its mobile applications’ users, now 874 million, up 45% on an annual basis.
Facebook Apps for Job Seekers
Through its Social Jobs Partnership, Facebook offers job seekers access to over two million jobs from a variety of sources, including the US government. Although very much a generic job search application, the Jobs Partnership site also offers specialized Facebook apps that help users build their professional profiles, network with others in their vocations, and cull through and apply for positions. Monster’s application BeKnown lets Facebook users import their profiles and information from LinkedIn.
Employers Expand Their Facebook Use
Employers recognize the growing importance of social media, especially Facebook, in finding suitable applicants. Employers, recruiting agencies and employer alliances are deploying a sophisticated array of applications to discover and contact people of interest who may be searching for employment. Recruiters are making increasing use of social media through well-designed and thoughtfully nuanced software that maximizes the use of social networks.
It's All About You
Despite new recruitment initiatives made possible by a new generation of apps, the catalyst for your discovery by a possible employer on Facebook remains you. How you present yourself and with whom you network are the keys to realizing your goals. Facebooking your way to that desired position requires your active and thoughtful engagement in building and expanding your network of contacts. Here are some suggestions:
Friending: create and maintain a strong, relevant Facebook network. Search for and Friend colleagues, former colleagues, current and past employers and college friends. Certainly a wide network of contacts is good, but professional relevancy is more important: Facebook’s degree of separation is officially 3.74, meaning that even with the median number of Facebook friends (100) in your network, any person on the planet is a friend of your friend who knows a friend of their friend. The maximum degree of separation is postulated at 6. (Yes, there’s a Degree of Separation app.)
Facebook’s research shows that jobseekers who communicate most on a network comprised of strong, relevant Friends greatly enhance their likelihood of finding a job, on average, in about three months.
Liking
“Like” pages of organizations of relevance to your job search. By Liking the pages of companies and staffing agencies that offer the sort of opportunities you’re seeking, you’ll be able to keep up on news about job openings, staffing trends and pick up suggestions that will help in your hunt. Look especially for creative staffing agencies in your area.
Commenting and Messaging
Interact with those you Like. Well-written posts that invite interaction can serve as a focus for discussion of specific job openings and company needs and philosophies. If things go well, you may soon be messaging with personnel at companies and agencies and even reciprocally Friending them. Uncontrived exchanges are best.
Police Your Facebook Persona
Social media’s no longer exclusively social. An ill-considered post on Facebook or any site can quash your employment hopes or even be a career killer. Review your Facebook timeline and Internet presence before beginning your job hunt, and delete anything you wouldn’t say in public among strangers.
Today, there are more avenues than ever for getting your name out there and making professional connections. Contact Artisan's team of talent representatives to learn more about showcasing yourself online.
