Benefits
There are many ways that you can use Facebook proactively in your job search.
Connect with people worldwide
Joining groups, keeping track of your friends' updates and just keeping in touch with your network can be beneficial.
You will also rank highly in search engine results.
Share what you’re doing
Add a status update or a note (notes generally stay on peoples’ screens longer) about your career and what you are looking for. Friends and family are likely to be willing to help you. You might be surprised what useful contacts and resources they are willing to share with you.
If a Facebook friend refers you for a job, make sure you find out from them all the details you can about the company and interview tips.
Link up with employer groups and pages
Use Facebook to ‘Like’ or follow companies and relevant groups, and read your news feed.
Facebook groups are a good place to discuss and post news about a particular topic, industry or interest. Join in or start discussions, post links and resources, moderate or manage sections of the group.
Once you have had a few conversations with people, send a friend invitation and they are likely to accept as you now know each other, albeit only online.
The objective here is to network with and get noticed by others in your industry. This could lead to you being considered for upcoming job opportunities even before they are posted.
Take part in competitions
Companies occasionally offer opportunities on Facebook to win internships.
Additional resources
The following links provide further information about the benefits of Facebook:
Disadvantages
There are some disadvantages of using Facebook to connect with employers. You will need to be careful that you don't criticise your current/former employer.
Keep on top of privacy settings
What can people see? It can be difficult to keep your personal and professional life separate. You might want to think about creating a separate, more professional account to use on employers Facebook pages.
Be careful what you post
If you are using your regular Facebook page to connect with employers, you need to be aware they will at least see some of your profile. Don’t, for example, criticise a current or former boss/job.