7 Unexpected Ways to Use Social Media in the Job Search

We all know that finding a job in the current economy is hard enough, no matter what type of role you’re looking for. When your main career goal is to find a job that actually feels meaningful—and is not just a comfortable place on a corporate payroll—things can sometimes feel twice as difficult.

Following your dream to foster good in a world where systems are broken and many people are not cared for is, to say the least, hard.

Of course, we all know it is possible to prioritize your passion without being a glorified volunteer. In fact, one of the most commonly busted myths about the nonprofit sector is that it doesn't pay—we all know better than that by now, right?

Here at Idealist Career Advice, we want to make your job search easier to help you find the social-impact role of your dreams that pays fairly. One way to do that is through social media (voila, the 21st century!).

The importance of networking via a professional profile and online connections is well-known, but remember that using social media in your job search can also help you discover jobs, highlight your skillset, and demonstrate your interest.

Here are some helpful tips we pull out whenever we want to use social media in the job search:

1. Use social media to highlight your volunteer projects

The reason you are searching for a position in nonprofit organizations is because you love getting involved in projects that promote a better life and world. A volunteering project, such as helping out at a local community shelter, is a great opportunity to make both like-minded friends and professional connections, as well as have a good time enjoying the results and stories of your good work. Share pictures of you and the team doing the work, and highlight the impact of any projects in your descriptions. Be careful to not violate any copyright laws or personal boundaries before posting such pictures by checking with the hosting organization first.

2. Highlight the work of your friends and connections

Use your profile to highlight and praise the work of other people in your circle or feature interesting articles in a topic that feels relevant to your interests. Doing so is not only an inspiring and kind way to lift up other people's work, but it also shows your interests to potential future colleagues, hiring managers, and others!

3. Feature your social media handles on your online profile

Whether or not you're a freelance or contract worker, the benefits of putting together an online profile or portfolio are several-fold. Even here on idealist.org, we encourage job seekers to add their work history, interests, and skills to their employment profile to make it easier for hiring managers to find them.

To showcase your variety of interests and projects, add your social media handles to your online profiles and portfolios. You'll show future employers that you're a well-rounded person with myriad interests, as well as encourage others to get involved with the causes that you care about.

4. Add new contacts to your social networks

As I mentioned above, you’re probably already meeting many like-minded people whenever you get involved in volunteering projects. Don’t lose contact with them; instead, add them on the social media sites you have in common. This way, you can stay in touch with their work and projects, even if you don’t necessarily communicate with them on a regular basis.

Once you have a base of 30 to 50 such acquaintances, you can identify which ones have similar career interests to your own and brainstorm how you’d like to connect with them next. Keep note of changes in their activity and ask them about any new positions they take on. By taking an active interest in their work, they'll likely remember you when something well-suited opens up at their organization!

5. Use hashtags and online trends to your advantage

Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) all offer job seekers valuable insights into current trends within their industry of choice. For example, Instagram's hashtags are one of the social media site’s most important tools for following specific news and campaigns.

On X, many recruiters and nonprofit organizations will use hashtags such as #careers, #hiring, or #jobopening to draw attention to current openings at their organization. Likewise, industry professionals will often use Facebook groups to advertise job openings, freelance positions, or even just to give their peers a chance to network and ask questions about career advancement.

Even if you’re not actively seeking a new role, hashtags are just one indicator of social media’s value as a networking tool, allowing you to connect with and gain awareness of prominent people and trends in the sector. This in turn offers you a valuable chance to start dialogues with people you might want to say in contact with later on. 

6. Contribute to social activism campaigns

X and Instagram have become strong vehicles in promoting social activism campaigns. If you’re passionate about the trends in this sector, then don’t be afraid to show it; comment on content that is shared through an NPO’s social media channels, be it a news item, an academic study, or just an interesting press release. This can ignite valuable and potentially career-enhancing conversations with people with whom you may wish to network the future.

7. Discover jobs that don’t exist yet

If you have followed the last few tips, then you’re highly-skilled in using social media in your job search and and well on your way to identifying potential job opportunities. It’s important to clarify that, when I say potential job opportunities, I emphasize the word "potential." If you are confident in seizing the moment, you can use your networking skills to identify openings in the job market before they become official.

Let’s say you follow a particular company on X and they tweet pictures of a farewell party for a Digital Content Strategist on their feed: does this mean that they will be on look for a replacement in the not-too-distant future? How has their social media strategy changed in recent weeks, paying special attention to right before and after this farewell party took place. Take observant notes and reach out to your network to see if you can find a connection to that organization’s recruiting department.

8. Stay active

The key to successfully using social media in your job search is active participation. The online job market is too dynamic and changeable for you to wait for the ideal job to come to you. You need to make sure your profile is as active and up-to-date as possible, be willing to ask questions, share ideas, and start conversations.

Good luck in your search! After you find your dream job, keep using social media to spread the message of your good work and the projects you are involved in to others in your network!

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About the Author: Sharon Armstrong is Managing Director of Armstrong Appointments, a leading executive, specialist and headhunting recruitment agency based in South Africa, recruiting both nationally and internationally for a range of specialist industries.