Social media isn’t just for mindless scrolling—for job seekers, it’s also a way to find out who’s hiring, and to connect with hiring managers.
“Hi Jubilee, this is my application for your Digital Media Producer role,” says the user @filmwcolleen (aka, Colleen Yu) in a TikTok application to the media company Jubilee that has recently gone viral, netting more than 346,000 views. “Hire her, do it, do it, DO IT,” one person commented on the video. “I sent this to my recruiter friend at Jubilee. I hope it works out!” another added. (In a follow-up video, Yu reveals Jubilee had indeed invited her to interview.)
Considering that the average American spends more than two hours scrolling each day, why not at least make some of that time productive? TikTok is giving platforms such as LinkedIn a run for their money, with one in five Gen Z respondents saying they’ve applied to jobs and gotten interviews through the video platform.
“Social media doesn’t just have to be for passive scrolling—it’s a critical tool for proactive job seekers,” says Eva Chan, a career expert at Resume Genius. “If you’re not incorporating it in your job search, you’re leaving opportunities on the table.”
In fact, 86% of job seekers already use social media in their job search, utilizing hashtags like #hiringnow and #jobopportunity or even uploading their résumé to TikTok (and using the hashtag #tiktokresume). Employers are also meeting prospective employees where they are, posting their job openings on their TikTok pages. Those who follow their social media accounts will be the first in the know.
While social media can be a useful tool for job seekers, it can also come back to bite them. A 2023 survey by the Harris Poll found that nearly three out of four U.S. companies review candidates’ social media, and nearly half of hiring managers say they’ve rejected applicants based on their social media. “Employers routinely use social media to assess candidates beyond their résumés,” says Nathan Soto, Career Expert at Resume Genius. “Your digital footprint can tell a lot about your personality, values, and work ethic, so be mindful of how you present yourself online.”
Before hitting send on an application, it’s worth taking a few more minutes to scan your social profiles for anything that you wouldn’t want a prospective new boss to see.