For any professional searching new job opportunities, the use of social networks is essential. If you are the resistant type towards the use of these instruments, be aware that your chances of being hired are reduced. Even if you don’t like using social networks or are not interested in keeping an active profile, you can at least use the social networks to find a job. That’s right. You don’t need to keep connecting yourself with friends or posting pictures, news about your personal life or anything of the sorts. But you need to use the social networks for two good reasons:
The First Reason
All companies use at least one social network to promote their products, services and even job vacancies (in some cases, only to their followers or users of the same social network).
Many companies in the US and worldwide don’t announce their job vacancies in newspapers, employment portals or HR companies. They publish their job opportunities directly on social network. For example, a company that needs to hire a recently graduate engineer, by announcing their job vacancy in a newspaper, besides the announcement costs, is at risk to receive hundreds of resumes, many of them outside the demanded profile. By publishing this same vacancy on their Facebook page, there is no cost, and it is a way to filter the profile of people who are qualified and those who are not. This way, their very own Facebook system is responsible for spreading this vacancy announcement only to the people with a similar profile to the one desired by the company, such as: age, sex, city, degree…
This is why it is very important to follow the companies you would like to work for on the social networks, so you can always be informed about what they are sharing, such as updates, selective processes, etc.
The Second Reason
Just like many companies that announce their job vacancies on social networks, many others use the same social networks to search for professionals or get to know their candidates’ profile. Some companies’ HR departments, commonly use some form of social network in order to obtain the contact of professionals within the company’s profile.
In accordance with the position to be filled, some companies prefer not to announce the vacancy. They prefer to enter it via LinkedIn or Facebook, to visualize users’ profiles that could occupy that vacancy; so they list the possible candidates, based on their criteria to get in touch afterwards, whether by telephone or email.
This is why it is important that you are active when they search for professionals with your profile.
Your Profile says who you are
Another important point is the fact that many companies search some candidates’ profiles after the interview. It is common that many recruiters (some even ask the candidate to inform if they use social networks, and which ones) visualize a candidate’s whole profile in their social network because through it they are able to see many things about the possible candidate. This happens because many people post their whole life in their social network, therefore the recruiter can have an idea of the candidate’s lifestyle and know more about their personal opinion and view of the world, after all, what you expose of your life says a lot about who you are. Think about it!
Important Hint
If you already make use of some social network, avoid mixing personal things with professional things. If in your personal profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, or other, has information such as: your team, photos of immoral or compromising scenes, such as doing drugs or drinking alcohol, etc…. Do not give this profile to your recruiter. If any of this applies to you, it is ideal that you leave your profile open only to your friends and family. You are also encouraged to create a new profile, preferably with your name and your profession: Willian John Civil Engineer. And in this profile post only professional information, in accordance to the type of job and position you want to occupy.
Don’t wait anymore. Create your profile today
If you still do not use any social network, do not wait to start getting familiar with these new tools. In case you don’t know how to use or how to create a profile, try this tip: Type on Google or on YouTube: How to create a profile on… name of the social network. Certainly you will find guides and tutorials, in text or in videos, teaching, step-by-step, how to create and use the social network.
You do not need to create a profile in all social network, nor limit yourself to these, because there are hundreds of them. The tip is: use the one which you feel most familiar and comfortable with, or the one a company you would like to work in uses. After finishing your profile, review everything, ask a reasonable person’s opinion and, if you think it is convenient, leave your contact information, at least your email if you don’t want to disclose your phone number.