Most people I talk to really enjoy Facebook’s interface and spend at least a little bit of time there each day. Most acknowledge its benefits for keeping in touch with friends and family, but few recognize Facebook’s implications for job search and its growing relevance as a job search and career management tool. With over 850 million users (a network that is approximately eight times larger than LinkedIn) and a robust demographic of professionals with 10+ years of work experience, the potential to connect with a key business contact via Facebook is enormous. Here are 5 tips for optimizing your job search strategy on Facebook.
- Like Pages – Most major employers have company pages and many even have separate pages with information about careers at the company. By viewing these pages you can learn a great deal about a company’s culture and products and their open positions. Just use the search box on Facebook to find some the companies you are targeting in your search. By “liking” the page you can start engaging in the conversations by commenting on the company page and you can also learn more about potential opportunities.
- Use Job Search Applications – BranchOut, BeKnown, and Glassdoor Inside Connections are third party applications that run on the Facebook platform and allow you to connect with recruiters and people from companies you are interested in without sharing all your personal information on Facebook. These applications leverage Facebook’s huge network to help you connect with people who may be able to make important introductions for you.
- Subscribe – What if you found someone who was a thought leader in your industry or someone who you wanted to get regular updates from but you don’t really know them? By subscribing to their Facebook updates you can receive their updates in your feed without friending them and they will be notified that you are a subscriber. Just key in their name in the search box, go to their profile, and click on subscribe if they have enabled this feature on their page. This is a great way to get on their radar and possibly turn a cold lead into a warm one.
- Use Timeline – The new timeline profile is great for customizing your Facebook page and building your professional and personal brand. Important events and pictures can be highlighted, the pages you like can be prominently displayed, and you can show other interests such as the books you read or the music you like. Timeline is like your visual resume and it gives you many opportunities for building a compelling and engaging message of value.
- Create Engaging Status Updates – Use your status updates to let your network know about professional events you are attending, interesting articles and books you are reading, and volunteer work you are doing to support your professional community. Write about companies and leaders you admire, share industry best practices, and give shout-outs to colleagues when they experience success. If you have a blog or videos to promote your professional brand, be sure to re-purpose this information on your Facebook page. These activities keep you and your professional areas of expertise top of mind with your friends and colleagues and this could lead to important career introductions.
Adding the professional slant on your Facebook page doesn’t mean compromising who you are. Part of the beauty of Facebook is that it gives you a platform for blending personal and professional messaging to show your authentic self and be memorable to friends, family, colleagues, recruiters, and employers.