Pros and Cons of Social Media for Job Searching

     There are various ways for one to look for the perfect job, but the most commonly used way would be through social media. Some forms of social media include: blogging, just like the one you are reading right now, networking sites such as Facebook, and information-sharing websites like Wikipedia, as well as magazines, podcasts, and photographs. These are all technologies that can be used all around the world by anyone, and even though there are many positives to the use of social media, there are also some negatives in contrast to the benefits.
     One reason why the use of social media is so great is because it is so easily accessible. Everything is literally at your fingertips, and there is an abundance of information on careers you are looking for. With the use of bountiful research, you can also utilize that material to gain knowledge of a company’s statistics, learn of its history, and at the chance of earning an interview, use those facts to your advantage. Another helpful usage for social media is for reviews from others on certain companies, employers, and perhaps the atmosphere of the job.
     On the contrary, though, there are also negative aspects to social media. Not all of them for job searching are legitimate; keep in mind that even though there are countless fantastic job opportunities, there are just as many scams too. Furthermore, the fact that other people can access the information could be disadvantageous to you, because there are other candidates to be considered for the same job. Lastly, some information may not be attained that you can access in-person by asking questions and experiencing the company for yourself. All in all, using forms of social media to look for work can be a good start, but will not be beneficial if that is all you depend on when job-hunting. You will most likely find yourself getting discouraged when you are not contacted for an interview, so search for employment wisely!

- Ashley Rodriguez