Garage technician searching for jobs on social media channels using a mobile phone

Using social media to find a job

How to use social media in your job search

Your CV is normally only seen by people you have sent it to directly. However, most employers and recruitment agencies use social media to find suitable candidates for a role – and to find out more about candidates.

Lots of people use social networks personally but they are a great way to raise your professional profile and help businesses and recruitment agencies find you. Here are some tips:

Get everything squeaky clean
If potential employers are going to be looking at your social posts – what would they think? Make sure that any public information on all of your profiles is super clean and professional. This means checking for swearing, images that aren’t professional, rants or arguments and consider removing anything that might be politically divisive.

If there is something you wouldn’t want an employer to see, delete it or change the privacy settings to limit what people can/cannot see.
Choose your networks
You don’t have to have a profile on every available platform. It’s better to have one or two that are regularly updated than lots that are unused. LinkedIn and Twitter or Facebook are more than enough.
Use your real name
It can be tempting to use a nickname for your profile handle but that won’t help an employer or recruitment consultant find you when they search for your name.
Photograph
Make sure you have a professional-looking photo of yourself and make sure it is used on all your profiles – this helps searchers identify you more easily.
Keep them 100% up to date
It’s important to keep your profiles accurate and up to date. Also, particularly on LinkedIn, the timeline should match your CV – employers or recruitment consultants will notice any differences.
Join relevant groups
Joining relevant groups is a great way to network. They’re also useful for asking for advice and finding out about opportunities.
Who to follow
Follow companies that you are interested in working for to spot any opportunities they advertise and to find out more about them. You can also follow people in these companies or similar ones. You can like, share or comment on their posts to raise your professional profile. And of course, you can follow relevant recruitment agencies and consultants too.
Keywords & hashtags
Make sure you use relevant keywords and hashtags so that you pop up in searches, making it easier for people to find you. On some platforms, you can make it clear in your settings that you are looking for work. On others, put it in your bio/description.
Request recommendations/endorsements
Ask previous colleagues or customers to endorse your skills or write a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile – what others say about you is powerful and can impress prospective employers.