A guide to using social media in your job search

An often-cited survey conducted by global recruitment agency CareerBuilder in 2018 alleges that 70 per cent of employers use social media to screen job candidates.

Whatever the exact figure, social media is almost ubiquitous in the job market. From screening candidates, to advertising roles and sharing information around their work, the vast majority of Irish companies are engaged online and, for better or worse, so are most people competing for jobs.

A young graduate may have the advantage of understanding social media better than someone who hasn’t grown up using it, but tailoring your online presence for employment can be a different prospect.

Start early

The earlier you build a network and promote yourself online as a candidate for employment, the better your chances of finding a job. Constructing your profile should take the same consideration as writing a CV – make a list of achievements and qualifications that you want to promote and incorporate them into your account. Of course, what you share is site specific.

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Once you have published information on your own skill set and professional history, start reaching out to members of your industry. Follow and connect with people in roles that are relevant to your own job hunt, even if you don’t plan on applying for anything right now.

Down the line, when you are looking for opportunities, it is helpful to already have a network of contacts to approach.

Focus on LinkedIn

More than a billion people use LinkedIn, making it far and away the most popular social networking site specifically designed for the professional world. In Ireland alone, there are more than 3.5 million users.

For a job hunt, the site ticks every box. You can build your profile, connect with industry members and trawl through job listings. Naturally, this is a different sort of profile to anything personal you may have for Instagram, Facebook, etc. You are presenting a professional version of yourself and will need to market your skills to potential employers.

Make sure to use a high-quality headshot against a plain background for your profile picture, upload a strong background photo and position your most relevant experience and education qualifications further up your profile. List your skills the way you would on a CV, being specific in your choice of language – unique qualities tend to stand out more to recruiters.

LinkedIn affords users a headline, which is the text just below your name in the introduction section of your profile. This is the only thing people will see before clicking into your account, so it needs to stand out.

Engage with contacts

It may seem obvious, but active profiles generate more interest online. Connecting with other accounts is the first step – once you have made that initial contact, you can follow up with a friendly, professional message or just interact by liking, reposting and commenting on updates from people in your network.

If you are looking for advice down the line, or you have contacts in a company when a job opens up, it helps to have already been on their radar without wanting something. On top of that, when you post online about your own updates and achievements, you are likely to reach a wider audience if you have been engaging regularly with other accounts.

Building a presence and keeping your account active also means you are less likely to miss any job listings when they are posted. Employers may even reach out to you directly if they come across your account and are impressed with the activity and qualifications.

Career paths can be emulated

One of the barriers LinkedIn breaks down is a lack of transparency around employment history. Not everyone will detail every inch of their career on the site, but plenty do. While it is unlikely your own path will mirror someone else’s stride for stride, it can be useful to track the history of a senior figure in your industry, particularly in the early stages if you are looking at it from the perspective of a university graduate.

For specific companies, a deep dive on current employees can reveal how much experience tends to be required for a given role. Even if that information is readily available in a job listing, scanning another employee’s profile can provide a roadmap for your interview. Try to emulate parts of a strong “about” section and take note of interesting listed skills.

Be aware of your digital footprint

As mentioned earlier, it is common practice for employers to research candidates online before moving ahead with the hiring process. Be aware of the results your name generates in a Google search and consider making any of your personal social media accounts private if you think they could portray you as unprofessional.

With that being said, depending on your industry, it can be helpful to have a presence on the likes of Instagram, Facebook or X. If you work in media, for example, an employer may be drawn to your reach across social media networks, as well as an ability to generate any visual content.

Keep track of companies

Personal contacts are one thing, but it has never been easier to keep track of employers online. If you find businesses that align with your ambitions or values, pay attention to what they post on their accounts. It always helps in an interview to show that you care about the wider implications of a role.

Companies often underline their hiring commitments on LinkedIn – from the types of candidates they are looking for, to their long-term strategy and direction. If you are engaging with a range of players in an industry on social media, it shows employers that you are clued in and considerate about your sector.

Do you have to use social media?

Plenty of jobs are never advertised. Companies hire internally; candidates are poached or referred. Still, using social media in today’s job market, particularly as a young graduate, can greatly increase your chances of finding the right role.

You don’t have to use social media, but it is a powerful tool when used properly.