Have you ever used social media during a job search? You aren’t alone! In fact, using social media in your job search is becoming an increasingly popular strategy for job seekers to view the corporate social media profiles of a potential employer. However, there are other ways to leverage these powerful tools in your job search.

As the workforce becomes increasingly digitized, finding your next career opportunity through sites like LinkedIn or Twitter is becoming more of a best practice than previously considered. In fact, these tools can provide you with a variety of positions you would be interested in taking on, but may not have found somewhere else.

If you’re thinking of using social media to help you find your next career opportunity, here are several best practices that are sure to find you success:

Create professional profiles for yourself

While you should already have a LinkedIn account, you should consider creating a professional Twitter and/or Facebook profile as well. Once you’ve done that, treat your profile as if it’s an interactive version of your resume. For example, posting about professional milestones and achievements, projects you’re currently working on, and industry-specific articles are great ways to present your personal brand. These things give a hiring manager a more in-depth look at you and your professional capabilities, and could make them more inclined to call you in for an interview.

Follow industry experts

One of the most important things to remember about using social media in your job search is that being active is a major key to success. After you’ve created a professional profile for yourself, be sure to follow industry experts whose insight you regularly refer to and value. By sharing content from industry experts, you’re showing a potential employer that you’re up-to-date on the latest news and trends in your field.

Use and browse hashtags

So how do you find jobs using social media as if you were trying to find them as if you were on a job board? Hashtags.

While a company you would love to work for may occasionally send out a tweet or Facebook post saying “we’re hiring,” browsing relevant hashtags is a great way to find more opportunities on social media. For example, going through a hashtag like #ITjobs could turn up multiple opportunities you are interested in that you may not have found elsewhere. While this can be an effective way to find jobs, exercise caution if you decide to look this way. Be sure to check the date of the original post to make sure that you aren’t applying to an old job that could already be filled.

Use social profiles in your company research

Another way to decide whether or not you’ll mesh with a company’s culture is to view their corporate social media accounts. For many companies, social media profiles are used as a means to highlight charitable causes they support and the people who work for their firm. By doing this, companies are trying to promote a good company culture and, if you find yourself drawn to those posts, it could be a sign that the company is one you would want to work for!