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Student Futures

Using social media to find a job

Employers are increasingly advertising jobs and searching for their new staff on social media.

Get tips on using LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs and Facebook to find jobs, market yourself and network with professionals, including Teesside graduates, working in industries that interest you.

Use social media to:

  • search for and gather information about employers who you are interested in working for
  • follow employers to stay up to date with their latest news and opportunities
  • find jobs not advertised elsewhere
  • make useful contacts with professionals working in organisations or types of industry that interest you
  • market yourself positively and professionally to potential employers

Social media guides

LinkedIn

More LinkedIn resources

See also

LinkedIn is a professional social media platform with 400 million users worldwide. Find out how to make the most of LinkedIn to find a job

Have a complete LinkedIn profile and a professional photo

  • Your profile will be similar to your CV. First impressions count. Write your profile in Word first and when it is error free copy it into LinkedIn
  • Use action words and include your achievements both academic and work related
  • Include paid and unpaid roles and if appropriate, a link to your portfolio/show reel or blog

LinkedIn template for students and graduates (Word - 39kb)

Example of LinkedIn student profile

Examples of LinkedIn graduate profiles

Research people who have completed a similar degree course

  • Use the Advanced tab to carry out a People search to find others who have completed a similar degree
  • Look at their profiles. Find out how they started their careers
  • See what groups they have joined
  • If they have ticked the 'expertise requests' (at the bottom of their profile), contact them if you have particular questions.

Develop your network - join groups and take part in discussions

  • If you want to find good groups to join, look at the groups people in your professional area have joined. Take a look at the members of the groups you are part of already. Scroll to the end of the profile of any person in that group and see what other groups they have joined.
  • Here are some groups attached to Teesside University: Teesside University Alumni (all current students can join it), Teesside University School of Computing & Digital Technologies Graduates, Students, Staff Network
  • Extend your network by sending invitations to friends, fellow students and contacts (past colleagues from placements, part time jobs, volunteering and internships)
    Creating a personalised LinkedIn invite (pdf - 271kb)

Ask for recommendations from employers (past and current), team leaders, supervisors and/or fellow colleagues

Search for jobs using the Advanced tab
LinkedIn

  • Carry out a job search using key words, save the search and set up a daily or weekly alert for similar jobs. Note - lots of recruitment agencies use LinkedIn

Keep your network warm by endorsing the skills of others but only if you genuinely know they are competent in that area.

Download a pdf version of the above information - LinkedIn tips for students and graduates (pdf - 333kb)

Twitter

Twitter - develop your career network through following and engaging with people and organisations in sectors you are interested in

Facebook

Facebook - is predominantly a social networking website.

Your digital identity

Many employers will check you out online before deciding whether they want to meet you. Discover what they will find and get tips on how to manage your information.

Job hunting apps

An introduction to some of the best apps for job seeking and networking, and tips on how to use them effectively.

Using blogs

Having your own blog can demonstrate your writing skills, your knowledge of a particular area and your enthusiasm to a wide audience. Find out more about using blogs

 
Careers & <br>Employability

Careers &
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