Facebook Simplifies the Job Search and Application Process

If you’d asked the team at The Lee Group just a year ago what social media platform was best used for a job search, we would have said LinkedIn or Indeed or some other tool. Today, 15 months after Facebook added new capabilities to make it easier for employers to post a job and candidates to find a job, we’d include Facebook in that response.

In the past, most people viewed LinkedIn as the site you used for professional networking and job search, while Facebook was reserved for personal information sharing. Facebook is shifting that mindset by providing businesses an easy way to add and elevate open positions on Facebook, and by giving its more than a billion users a fast and simple way to find and apply for a job within the social media platform.

Facebook is making the hunt for new positions easier for job seekers by essentially putting the fox – the job openings – in the kennel with the hound (the job seeker). With U.S. Android users spending an average of 58 minutes a day in the Facebook app (and that’s just one portion of Facebook’s billion-plus users), it makes sense to get relevant jobs in front of applicants where they’re spending time anyway – and make it easy to apply for the position.

How to use Facebook to find a job

Facebook does the heavy lifting when it comes to finding a position and streamlines the application process to minimize the time spent filling out forms. Job postings appear in the bookmark for jobs found in the left menu column, on a company’s page and in your personal news feed. If you see a position you’re interested in, click Apply Now to review and edit the application form that’s pre-populated with information from your Facebook profile.

Before you click “Apply Now” and “Send”

Facebook uses your Facebook profile information to populate your application. And once you click Send to submit your application, the prospective employer can see your profile. Anything you’ve chosen to make viewable to the public will be seen by the hiring team at the company where you’ve applied for a position.

With that knowledge, it’s a good idea to update your profile information and review your timeline, postings and settings to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward. Just like a resume, your Facebook profile will be the first impression with a prospective employer. Make sure it represents you well. Here are a few things to do to your Facebook account before applying for a job through Facebook.

• See what your profile looks like to the public. To do this, go to your profile page and click on the Activity Log and choose View As. Up at the top it will then say, “This is what your profile looks like to.” Make sure it shows as Public.

This is the information available to anyone and the first impression of your personal brand. If you see something here that you feel could cause concern or provide too much information to a prospective employer, change it. Too much information could include things about you that shouldn’t be asked in an interview such as age, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual preference or if you’re an expectant parent.

This also offers opportunities for job seekers. The Intro section provides a spot to briefly introduce yourself and share your skills and interests.

• Check the About section of your Facebook account. This is what an employer will see when you apply for a job using Facebook, but you can control what is shared. Think of this section as your resume or what will go on your application. That means not everything must be shared, but much of it can be completed to work to your advantage.

For example, work and education are must-haves, but your relationship status and family have little to do with your job search and don’t need to be shared.

Places you’ve lived is an optional section. If you’ve lived somewhere unique, like overseas or the smallest town in the U.S., or if you think where you’re from might help establish rapport with the hiring team, then share it.

Contact and Basic Info should include email, phone and select social media links. And even with this basic information, set your controls on who can see it. You don’t need to share your birthdate, religious or political views, address or additional information.

Details About You is where you can tell your story and provide an employer insight into what makes you tick. This is the section that will make you stand out among all other applicants.

Life Events can supplement the details you provide. You can add information such as volunteer work, military service, awards and more. There are many professional events to choose from, but Facebook also provides the option to create your own.

Following up

Once you’ve reviewed your application and you click Send, it goes to the company’s Messenger chat box. That click effectively passes the ball to the employer. It’s now up to them to contact you if they’re interested.

Following up on job applications has always been difficult. Finding the hiring manager can be impossible, phone calls aren’t returned and emails seem to go into a black hole. But applications submitted via Facebook started with a social network, so following up using the same channel may return better results.

For example, if there’s any response via Messenger to your application, you now have a contact. You also can follow the business and comment on its posts within Facebook, raising your visibility – and interest.

If you’re currently seeking a position or an employer with jobs to fill, The Lee Group matches the best employers with the best employees. For more information, contact any of us here at The Lee Group.