Careers
Networking 3 - Facebook
So we come to the third and last article on using social media to find a job; this time it's Facebook.
Facebook is HUGE! Prepare yourself for some statistics so you can see just how huge: Facebook has more than 400 million active users, 50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day and more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices. In France we are not such a fan as in the US but even so there are 18,701,820 members registered in France, compared to 25,110,180 in UK.
These statistics come from the Facebook press room. Even if the figures are exaggerated a bit, this is a site which attracts many (there is no reason to think they are; it's just that I am suspicious by nature and I find it hard to get my brain around so many people!).
The logical conclusion to draw is that if you don't know Facebook yet and you are looking for a job then you need to look into it!
How can you use Facebook to find a job?
It is like the other social networking sites; the purpose is to make connections (in this case 'Friends'). It has been the place where people share more of their 'social side' but it is being increasingly used to exchange information about business and corporate life but from a personal standpoint. So it's a good networking site. Most big companies have their own 'pages' where they are hoping consumers will post positive comments about their products and so on, so if you know of companies you want to work for you could have a look and see what people are saying about them.
You can also look up Jobs in the search bar and this will show up useful pages and website addresses. I looked up 'jobs in France' for example and got a few results that looked promising
There are now applications available to companies which allow them to post up-to-date vacancies and give you the chance to even apply for a job from your Facebook space but it is yet to be fully exploited so keep watching! It is bound to come.
Some people say that you can't mix business and social networking on Facebook so there is no point trying and you do have to be very careful with this site more than the others we have looked at. If you are connected to your friends on Facebook (as most people are) then you will only have limited control over what is posted and this is what gets you into trouble with prospective employers!
Here are some tips if you decide to use Facebook to look for jobs:
· Registration is free so you can go in and have a look around without giving much away about yourself at the start
· Once you have decided you want to be part of Facebook, then complete your profile but be careful and don't post anything that you don't want a prospective employer to read.
· Don't post compromising photos and ask your friends not to post their photos of you the 'worse for wear' at their birthday party
· Check your privacy settings and select what is right for you. But remember if you want potential employers to find you, then they won't be able to if you make your account 'Friends only'.
· Only post content relevant to your job search or your career
· Recruitment companies use Facebook to check out potential candidates so keep this in mind!
· If you're going for a high-powered job, you can expect the company to check out everything you have put on social media sites, so make sure what you put on Facebook is consistent with what you have on your LinkedIn profile and what you say about yourself on Twitter.
Just be sensible and careful with Facebook, more so than with the other two we've discussed!
It would be great to hear from those of you who have used social media to find a job and what you think. Which is the best site in your opinion? What results have you got? Have you had some bad experiences?
Please use Comments box below...