A recent survey of 97,000 people (18,000 from the United States) in 30 different countries showed that social media is currently lagging behind networking and online job boards. As well as more traditional job search methods such as using recruitment firms and print advertisements in terms of achieving job search success, social networking sites are growing enormously as a place for job seekers to look for openings. In fact, nearly a quarter of those who took part in the study, carried out by Kelly Services, said that they are using sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to seek employment. Alongside this, of course, more and more organizations are turning to social media sites to identify and attract top talent.
As might be expected, Facebook is the preferred site for younger job seekers aged 18 to 29, with those aged 30+ preferring the business-networking site LinkedIn. In some cases, job seekers are using social media sites to tap into their networks of friends to look for opportunities, whereas in others they are making connections with individuals at their target companies via their existing contacts or starting dialogues with company employees via the company pages that many employers now maintain on sites such as Facebook.
With the face of job seeking experiencing so many changes in the light of modern technology, anyone seeking employment would be well advised to include social media as part of a wider range of job-search methods.
[This article first appeared in the July 2011 issue of Family Times which is published monthly with lots of informative and fun articles for you and your family. To receive your own copy, just send your mailing address to starter@playaroundgolf.net.]
