Using Facebook to Find Your Next Job

Connecting with people on Facebook could help your job search. Istock Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

When it comes to job-hunting on social media, LinkedIn gets a lot of attention, and with good reason. It has crafted a niche as the professional networking site.

Rules for Career Happiness" is Kerry Hannon's latest book.

But a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that while a whopping 94 percent of employers who responded said they trolled LinkedIn to find job candidates, 54 percent

also tapped Facebook, which has 1.39 billion monthly users — four times the size of LinkedIn.

You can reconnect with past colleagues and pals from across the decades, who may now be working in industries or at companies that interest you. If you're retired and looking to pick up

part-time or contract work, or self-employed, this can be a good way to find opportunities.

Simple and subtle networking in the virtual world is essential for everyone in the job market today. Here's why: Employers hire people they know, or know through their contacts.

In the recent survey "The Long Road Back: Struggling to Find Work After Unemployment," AARP's Public Policy Institute found that of 2,155 people ages 45 to 64 who had been unemployed at some

time during the past five years, 46 percent said reaching out to their network of contacts was viewed as the most effective step in their job search.

If you're inclined to ask people you know to help with your job search, you're more likely to find these folks on Facebook.

While LinkedIn leans toward higher-paying professional or management positions, Facebook can help if you're looking for nonexecutive work or part-time positions, or you are a business owner

ramping up a clientele.

"LinkedIn is seen by many as the site for white-collar workers," according to Aliah D. Wright, an expert on HR technology and social media trends and author of A Necessary Evil: Managing

Employee Activity on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the Hundreds of Other Social Media Sites. "Many recruiters who work in other industries and are recruiting for blue-collar workers often

turn their efforts to Facebook and other social channels in order to find talent."

"Some company recruiters have recognized the value of having their employees network for them," Wright says. "They're asking their employees to share job openings with their friends on

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other niche social sites they may use."

Before reaching out to colleagues and potential new contacts, make sure your Facebook page is first class.

Focus on work and education, including where you worked the past 10–15 years, omitting any places you worked for fewer than six months. Add professional skills and education. Your contact

information should include links to your website or blog (if you have one). You may also want to include your email address, but people can also contact you using Facebook's message

feature.

If you already have a Facebook page, scroll through it and remove any inappropriate photos or comments. Look for photos you may be tagged in that are posted by someone else. If you don't

want to be identified in the photo, go to the upper right corner of the image and remove it, or untag yourself. Review your privacy settings and consider limiting what you share.