Is Social Media Replacing The Job Board?
Posted by Sandy Fitzgerald on Tue, May 31, 2011
Where was the last place you found a new job?
If you're like many people, you go out on the big job boards and start your search. And that's fine. After all, those boards are there to help you find a job, right?
Well, that used to be the case. However, while job seekers have found the boards, so have recruiters, people making sales pitches and all kinds of others who just muddy the pool. And before long, that job search just becomes like a job itself!
Many job searchers are finding that there's an easier way. Have you ever considered using social media jobs links to track down potential employers?
After all, using social media is all about making connections of one kind or another. And while we all love seeing and sharing photos of our pets and kids, doesn't it make sense to use some of that time to make social media jobs searches part of our routine?
For example, let's say you're using Twitter. Try searching like this. Type in a # followed by the kind of job you're seeking. If you're looking for writing jobs, type in #writing jobs. You should get tweets from all kinds of companies offering job links. Click on one and off you go!
And how about LinkedIn? Many professionals prefer using Linked In far above Facebook to maintain their social and professional contacts. A good side to this is that many of those professionals are also using social media jobs links to attract potential hires. Sign up for an account, follow the kind of industry you're interested in, and you'll make professional contacts that could lead to a better opportunity for you.
And yes, Facebook is good for far more than playing Farmville! Most companies these days have a Facebook presence, and you may be able to track down jobs by connecting with those companies.
Be aware, though: If you're using social media jobs sites in your search, be sure your profiles are squeaky clean. Those photos of you doing body shots during Spring Break a couple summers ago have to be deleted!
But what if you're on the other side of the social media jobs issue? Are you looking for a good employee, but you're concerned that nobody is seeing your ad? Or, if you run a jobs board, are you not getting the kind of clicks you're expecting?
Here's how social media would world for you. Let's take Twitter. If you have a jobs board, you can set an automatic Twitter feed through Tweet Deck or some other similar software, and have it occasionally pick up jobs to tweet out there for other Twitter followers to see.
If you only want to feature certain jobs, you can also just tweet the jobs you want others to see.
Facebook is also a fantastic place to put your job leads. Just post them like status updates on your company's profile page. You'll find that you'll get applicants who are more qualified and interested in what you have to offer, because those applicants have purposely sought out your business. On a regular job board, many people just sent out applications to everyone that matches their keyword in the hopes that something sticks, whether they're qualified or not.
And perhaps most of all, LinkedIn is fabulous for someone who is using that site's social media jobs capabilities. This is because the site is mostly populated by professionals in a field, who are looking for specific opportunities. It's easy to check that applicant's profile while on there to determine if s/he is a good candidate for a job. Best of all, even if you don't sign on for the pay site part of the web page, it's free to post your jobs and network with professionals in your field.
Whether you're looking for a job or someone to hire, remember this: Analyze just what it is you're seeking and identify the best sites to match that. For example, if you're looking for a good applicant for a job you're posting for an attorney, you likely won't want to announce that on Facebook. You would want to use probably Linked In or find a website where attorneys network.
And if you're looking for a job writing, it would be smart to look for sites where news and publications are discussed, or even current affairs, or if you're on LinkedIn, gravitate to profiles that are similar to yours and not out of your league.
So, what's your favorite social media jobs link?