It’s that time of year isn’t it? You have either landed an internship OR you are still stuck knee deep into your search.  Consider using Facebook to help you find your summer internship. Recruiters and hiring managers are becoming more plentiful on Facebook because of it’s impressive reach and influence. You will need to decide if you are going to keep it personal and private or as a tool for your job search. Even if you think it’s private, your 1000 friends might not have the same opinion.

Facebook Profile Tips

Fill in your Facebook profile completely.  Use the LinkedIn profile as your guide and use as much of that information as you can.  Your Facebook profile is also searchable so keep that in mind as you complete it. Facebook has the opportunity to add more visual content than LinkedIn. Some recruiters are also using Facebook to learn more about a prospective candidate’s personality and interests. Facebook profiles and news feeds often provide the most danger and opportunity for college students. Be aware of your privacy settings and who can view what on your account.

Facebook Networking and Search Tips

• Research: Use Facebook to learn about companies and industries. Find individuals, businesses or organizations by entering in what you are looking for in the upper search bar.

• Find and Follow: Follow companies you are interested in. Find their fan pages and LIKE them so that you can then receive news about the company. Find events and conferences in your prospective industry. Join Facebook Groups. You will find industry groups, professional interest groups and alumni networks.

• Build Your Network: Keep adding to your friend lists with college and high school friends. Add in neighbors, parent’s friends and other members of the community. Invite corporate recruiters to be your Facebook friend!

• Show and Share your Expertise: Post interesting articles on your Facebook status update. This can be your own blog post or other industry articles that you find interesting and relevant. Post the article along with your comment.

• Job Search Applications:  Specific jobs are now posted on company, group and college Career Services pages. Post University has a built in job application on their Facebook page that has specific job listings. Consider using one of Facebook’s job search applications.

• Engage with recruiters: Companies are investing in social recruiting and are trying to engage with job seekers and college students. Many corporate recruiters use Facebook actively to find and engage with students.

How are you using Facebook in your search?