Published: 28 January 2021
For many people, spending time online is mostly about using social media. Did you know that according to one study people in the UK spend around 5 hours a day on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram?
In fact, roughly half of the world’s population will visit a social media site today.
But it can be used for much more than just procrastinating when you don’t feel like reading that journal article or starting your next assignment.
According to a recent study, one in ten people found their current jobs through social media.
Find out how you can be one of them.
Speak up
Of course, the main purpose of social media is to have your voice heard, so why not use it to let people know you’re looking for a job?
If they don’t, they won’t think of you when new roles come up.
Try posting something like:
‘I’m looking for a job in finance. If you know anyone who’s hiring, please forward them my CV.’
It helps to have your resume uploaded online – you can always include a link to your LinkedIn account, but make sure it’s up to date first.
And to go one step further, include hashtags that are relevant to your industry. Simply search for ‘hashtags in finance’ for example to get started.
Facebook lists
Social media sites often let you curate your posts so limit who sees what. Facebook lists are one of these methods.
You can create a list of professional contacts, so you don’t have to worry about your business network seeing your latest holiday snaps.
To create a list, go to ‘Friend lists’ in the left-hand side-bar. You’ll see an option to make a new list with the ability to adjust the privacy settings. Go through these carefully before you finish the list.
Twitter is a great place to have conversations about things to do with your industry.
You can find and follow the key influencers in your sector, retweet them, comment and ask questions.
That way your name is likely to be familiar to them when you send through a CV – a sure way of standing out from the hundreds of other applications big companies get sent.
Be professional
Your social media presence can also stop you from getting your dream job too.
If there is anything online you wouldn’t want a potential future boss knowing, think about removing it or adjusting your privacy settings.
But you don’t have to stop using social media for the fun things you love to do. Instead, try creating a LinkedIn profile – a site dedicated to careers and professionalism.
It also happens to rank very well on Google searches, so your page should come up higher than your private Facebook account for instance.
Your CV
Adding your social media accounts to your CV is becoming increasingly popular. For one thing, many employers will now look for your profiles anyway.
So, if you’ve got a well-organised, professional social presence you should show it off.
Plus, you can use your channels as a way of presenting your career achievements. If you’ve presented at a conference, why not share the video on your Twitter feed, for example?
Hashtags
It’s a common thing for companies to advertise their latest job openings on social media.
When they do this, many choose to include hashtags to help people find their roles.
You can take advantage of this by following hashtags like #JobSearch, #JobHunt, and #NowHiring on Twitter.
These tips are just some of the ways you can use social media to get the job of your dreams. But the best piece of advice we can give you is to spend the time.
The longer you use social media, the more you build your reputation. Putting in the effort will pay off.
Learn more about jobs skills on the Digital Literacy Skills section of the Library website.
For more information,you can contact our Careers Advisor at careers-london@sunderland.ac.uk. You can read about employability skills on our news pages. Find out more by following #WeAreSunLon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.