More young people are taking to social media to find employment in a low-confidence job market, stated recruitment software company Jobvite in its 2014 Job Seeker Nation Survey. The US-based survey makes several assertions that indicate that people are choosing alternative routes to employment as confidence in their ability to find work in the year continues to fall.
Online social networks (21 percent) and online job boards (20) like Employment4students scored twice as highly as reliable sources over careers fairs (seven) and classified ads (19).
Referred to as “social job seekers”, social media has emerged as a tool that is utilised by both the job seeker and employer looking to glean more information not available in job descriptions, applications and the interview, with the survey asserting that “social job seekers are younger, wealthier, more highly educated and more likely to be employed full-time”
However there is a disconnect between where social job seekers are looking for work and where the largest number of recruiters are active. While 83 percent of social job seekers are active on Facebook, as is a respectable 65 percent of recruiters, only 36 percent look for work on LinkedIn. This is in stark contrast with the number of recruiters on the professional social network, standing at 94 percent.
Not just a tool for students
Job seekers are not the only people utilising social media. A poll by recruitment company Meadowbank Associates discovered that 42 percent of UK firms check details of prospective employees on social media sites including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as part of their recruitment process.
Absolute Group managing director Jessica Marshall has also claimed that this figure is likely to be understated, and is probably closer to 60-70 percent because of the ease of which these checks can be performed.
“For many employers in the region, taking on new staff is a huge investment and they try to make sure they have as much information as possible to make the right appointment.
“CV, covering letters and application forms often aren’t enough these days as employers want to find out more about the person they could be hiring, and it’s easy enough to do a quick internet search to see what more they can find.
“This sort of research is especially true if companies are hiring for roles which involve any level of responsibility, from supervisor positions upwards, because they want someone who reflects well on their company in and out of work.”
The 2014 Job Seeker Nation Survey claims that 42 percent of US recruiters have reconsidered a candidate based on social media content, in both positive and negative re-assessment, and that employers are more likely to react negatively to profanity (65 percent) than references to alcohol consumption (47 percent).
Proactive
With social media becoming a prevalent part of the job search, students have a number of alternative opportunities but are also encouraged to be vigilant about anything employers might look down upon.
Firstly, take into consideration that if you haven’t personalised your privacy settings, most of what you contribute on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn is publically visible. Unless you get to grips with controlling what certain people can and cannot see, it would be best to start regulating your social media output.
To this end, be mindful that even the most innocuous mention of something an employer may find unsavoury may lead them to reconsider any opportunities you may have been granted. Susan Joyce writing for the Huffington Post, remarked “a recruiter recently shared that they were considering proposing a specific person to their client, and then read that person’s posting in a LinkedIn group relevant to the work […] several of this person’s posting were just plain nasty – someone who would not be a pleasant person to work with. So, no connection was made.”
Social media has also been lauded as an essential step for PhD students too, with speakers at the annual eSCAMPS (EBI-Sanger-Cambridge PhD Symposium) conference encouraging students to engage with social media to expand their contacts, engage with other researchers and the public and develop their reputation online, according to the Times Higher Education.
Employment4students is also keen to encourage students to engage with careers prospects on social media, and features a wide range of opportunities and helpful tips to help put students in front of the positions they’re looking for. You can follow Employment4students on Facebook, Twitter and G+, and many university careers services are also active on social media.