What Are the Benefits of Facebook for a Job Search?
Depending on how you use it, Facebook can be your ally or your enemy in your job search. Facebook reveals details about your life, your goals and what is important to you to potential employers; the information they glean can have consequences. While some people may choose to take Facebook out of the equation entirely by changing their privacy settings to strict levels, savvy job searchers can leverage the social networking site to their benefit.
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Profile Information
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A well-crafted Facebook profile is in some ways much like a well-crafted resume. Both show off who you are professionally, your goals for the future and why you are a qualified candidate for a given position. There are few components of the profile that are particularly useful for job seekers, such as the Education and Work section and, to some extent, the Basic Information and Philosophy sections.
The Education and Work section allows users to list their educational and work histories, much like a resume does. No distinction is made between volunteer and paid work, so include either if they are applicable to your field, while leaving off any part time jobs you wouldn't include on a standard resume. In the Basic Information section, there is section where you should list the languages you speak and an "About Me" text box, which you can fill with free-form information about yourself and your goals. In the Philosophy section there are spaces for the people you admire and your favorite quotations. Choose people and quotations relating to your chosen field.
Pictures
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Allowing prospective employers to see your face can help you get a leg up in the job search process if the profile picture you've chosen makes you appear professional but comfortable and approachable. Before an interview especially, giving employers who have probably never met you a face to connect to your resume is a good idea.
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Networking
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Facebook can help you connect to others in your field and with professional organizations. When you meet a potential mentor or another person in your industry, follow up with the individual on Facebook in order to start building rapport, and maintain contacts over time with periodic messages or posts on the person's Wall sharing links that are relevant to you and your field. Contact acquaintances and friends through Facebook to let them know that you are looking for a new career opportunity, and see if someone can help you get a foot in the door of a company you'd like to work for.
Privacy
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Fine tuning your privacy settings is important if you want to use Facebook for both business and personal networking. Split off the people who are business associates from your personal contacts by putting them into different lists. Then, when you post links and status updates, allow only one group or the other to see what you've posted. For example, you may post a newly released scholarly article but only to your business contacts since your friends wouldn't be interested; and conversely, you might write a status update about the great time you had last night at the bar and have it only be visible to your personal contacts.
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