New Ways to Use Facebook in Your Job Search

Facebook is partnering with job board site SimplyHired. The integration allows you to see Facebook friends you have at a company, and locate friends inside a company when pursuing a job opening.

To use the new integration, you must go to SimplyHired and then login in to Facebook through SimplyHired. You can then research a company and see if you know someone who works there. Or you can locate a job and then find out if you know someone who works there.

This is good news for job seekers looking for insider connections to job leads.  However, keep in mind, looking at posted job listings on a job board may not be an effective way to tap the hidden job market.  You should limit the amount of time you spend on job boards, and focus on networking. But, if you find an open position that’s a match for you, knowing someone within the company may be valiable and this integration can help you find that insider.  This functionality only works with Facebook friends who have listed their employer in their profile. On Facebook, many people do not give much or any professional information.

A stronger way to use Facebook may be to reach out directly to friends, learn about their industry, work and needs, and engage them in helping with your job search.  Meanwhile, LinkedIn remains the strongest professional networking site, and offers a similar integration with SimplyHired. Optimize your LinkedIn profile and use the site to network and generate job leads.

Remember, most job openings are never posted on a job board site. Focus job seeking efforts on widening your network as a way of tapping the hidden job market.