Using the term ‘social media’ in conjunction with people used to conjure up the image of a heavily be-speckled, acne ridden teenager with a social life that would need nothing less than a defibrillator to get started. This is probably one of the biggest prejudices that is hindering people from using social media as a serious tool to finding a job. Those that can throw off the feeling that social media is merely a vehicle to find out who your ex-partner is dating or what snack your best friend is currently eating can use it to make serious in roads into a successful job search.

For instance, did you know that only 38% of job seekers use LinkedIn as a source for available positions? That would seem quite high, until you realise that 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn as a resource for advertising their open jobs. That’s a massive job base with little competition for the more savvy social media job seekers out there. If you have researched your chosen industry and narrowed down a list of companies you are desperate to work for, their LinkedIn page should be your first port of call.

The numbers are similar for Twitter. 34% of job seekers look for a job by following a company’s Twitter feed, yet 54% of recruiters use it to get the word out. If you want to be one of the first out of the gate to have a chance of a position in a company, then you need to subscribe to the their feed and become active on it. Ask and answer professional questions, get involved in conversations and retweet as often as possible. Be a name they won’t forget.

Job seekers and potential employers are nearly even on using Facebook as a tool to get a dream position. More than half of the open positions are advertised on Facebook, with a massive 66% of recruiters using it to advertise jobs. Only 52% of job seekers actually take the time to peruse a potential company’s Facebook page to see what they have to offer, or to hear about what may be coming up. Again, being active on the company’s page is a great way to showcase your ability to be part of a team, your professionalism, the fact you’re ahead of everyone else in technological trends and your familiarity with modern communication.

Why do so many employers use social media for all their open positions? Quite simply – because it’s free! It also has the power to reach further and wider with an amazing speed in a way no other media can touch. It’s a win/win for any recruiter, but also a huge win/win for any job seeker, especially new graduates. The graduating classes in recent years have been bought up on a diet of social media and internet ability that most established companies are missing from their work force. They may have a well-oiled and experienced business machine running, but it may be so heavy on experience it is shallow on the technological know-how of the modern age, and every company knows that if this balance is not addressed they are in danger of being left behind. Many companies use social media to employ not just because it’s cheap, but because they are going where the people they want to employ are.

This post was courtesy of Free Resume Builder