We all know that the networking site LinkedIn is universally used by job seekers and recruiters alike, but what about Twitter and Facebook? It may be surprising to hear that these social platforms we leisurely use for connecting with friends, receiving news, and taking a break from our work (yes, we’re all guilty!), have become more popular as recruiting tools for recruiters and hiring managers.

According to Jobvite’s 2012 Social Recruiting Survey, 66% of the HR and recruiting professionals sampled are using Facebook, while 54% are using Twitter to source candidates.  This is compounded by the conclusion that 92% of those surveyed use social media in general to find and research candidates! The study additionally found that 73% of recruiters have successfully hired a candidate through social media.

How can you ensure you’re using your social media pages to properly optimize your job search, you ask?  Well, Facebook is more interactive than LinkedIn, and with over 850 million users, the potential to connect with recruiting professionals is enormous!  Here are some ways you can incorporate Facebook into your job search:

• Like Pages: Many employers have company pages that contain a great deal of information about the company’s culture, services and products, and current company initiatives.  Many company pages even list employment opportunities. Once you have liked the company pages you’re interested in, you should start engaging in conversations by making comments on posts and following updates.
• Use Job Search Applications: Beknown, Branchout, Work4labs, and Glassdoor are just a small sample of the third party applications that run on Facebook that can connect you with recruiters without sharing all your personal information.  At The Execu|Search Group, we even post all our opportunities on our Facebook page here.
• Use Timeline: Your timeline is a great way to show recruiters who you are. You can build your personal and professional brand on your timeline by highlighting important posts and pictures, displaying pages you have liked, and showing your other interests. Think of your timeline as an autobiographical platform that integrates both your professional achievements and personal interests.

With many companies and recruiters using Twitter to post jobs from their own accounts, connecting to recruiters via Twitter is just as simple!  Once you have gotten the hang of Twitter and have several tweets under your belt, you will be ready to pursue connections with recruiters.  Here’s how:

• Find Recruiters to Follow: To find a recruiter, you can search the word recruiter and your city, search hashtags such as “#healthcarejobs,” or “NYCJobs,” and go through their list of followers to see if you can find other recruiters through them.
• Retweet their Content and Open Jobs: Recruiters will take notice when you retweet their content.  If they see that you are interacting with them on Twitter, they may be more inclined to shoot you a message to find out more about who you are and what your interests include.  Even by sharing jobs that may not be a fit for you, you are helping the recruiter reach a greater amount of potential candidates. This may help you get on the recruiter’s radar, making them more willing to help you out when the right opportunity arises!

LinkedIn is still the most common way recruiters use social media to connect to candidates. In fact, 89% of recruiting professionals surveyed by Jobvite have hired talent they found through LinkedIn. Here are some ways you can optimize your LinkedIn profile to connect with recruiters:

• Complete your Profile: LinkedIn Recruiter allows recruiters to expand their pool of potential candidates by enabling them to search and organize passive candidates. This means that while you may not be connected to a recruiter, that recruiter may still be very familiar with your profile. To increase your chances of a recruiter reaching out, you should ensure your profile is complete and free of spelling and formatting errors.
• Add Relevant Keywords: You should add specialty keywords that are relevant to your industry (i.e. “Systems Engineering Specialist”) into your headline and summary to ensure that when recruiters search for special skills, your name shows up in results.
• Join Industry-Specific Groups:  Recruiters often scout industry-specific groups to connect with candidates with specific skills. These groups are great ways to find new opportunities that are posted directly through the recruiter.

Your Twitter and Facebook accounts are great new tools you can use to connect with recruiters and HR professionals. Keep in mind, if you are going to use them for this purpose, you must be careful not to post content that potential employers may deem inappropriate. You may also want to modify your privacy settings. Furthermore, even if you don’t plan on using social media to find a job, remember that according to Jobvite, 89% of recruiters have stated that when evaluating a potential candidate, they will take a look at their social media pages.