10 Top Tips for Using Social Media in a Job Search


Social media can be a scary topic when mentioned to teachers. But when used correctly, social media can be a great place to start your job search. Here are 10 top tips to ensure that you use social media correctly during a job search, and even make certain that it doesn’t stop you from landing your dream role!

1) Build Your Personal Brand

In 2018, everybody is a brand. A brand is a promise, a brand identifies you and differentiates you from your competitors - other people in your industry. You should associate your image with a level of credibility, quality and satisfaction. Therefore, your sickness record could reflect positively or negatively on your personal brand, the same goes for your performance during previous employment and your attitude at work.

What do you want people to associate with you when they think of your name? Maybe you want to be perceived as an industry expert, or perhaps you have exceptional personal qualities that you want to be remembered for. Once you know how you want others to perceive you, you can strategically mould your personal brand to this. Of course, you’re still human! Being authentic is the key to a brand, especially a personal brand – so make sure that you are still you!

Although the following tips are fantastic at helping you excel in using social media in your job search, they can also help you on your way to developing a killer personal brand.

2) What Are Your Social Media Profiles Really Saying?

So, what does your social media profile say about you? Honestly, ask yourself “what am I posting on social media?” Or perhaps more importantly; what you have been posting. If you have had social media profiles for many years now, you will have developed as a person, your views will have changed and perhaps you’ve even grown up a bit. You must ask yourself, what have you posted publicly online, and what conclusions could somebody draw from these posts about you. Remember, anything that can be found about you online can also be used against you to disprove claims that you have made in your application, during your interview – That’s if you even make it to interview!

Luckily for you, most social media channels will allow you to privatise all your old posts; however, with some it’s a little harder than it may seem! Utilise this function where possible and “re-brand” yourself in to who you want the world to see you as. Are you the fantastic science teacher from Kent? Or are you ‘that’ teacher from Kent who shares a little bit too much on their social media profiles?

3) Coordinate and Organise Your Profiles

Imagine this scenario: Teaching Assistant from Kent has Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Their LinkedIn headline says, “Recently passed a Higher Level Teaching Assistant course”, their Facebook profile says “Working at a Kent retail store since 2000” and their Twitter profiles says “I love dancing!”.  You’re right… it is very random and a bit unorganised!

Potential employers do like to check out their candidates online, so make sure that your profiles are consistent, including your image! Does your profile picture send out the right signals about you? 

4) Relevant, Engaging Skills and Achievements

Sharon, 32 years of age, “best surfer in the south east”. Sharon, that is fantastic… but is it going to help you become the office manager of a small primary school in Ashford? Probably not.

You’re using your social media profile kind of like a CV, so make sure to ask yourself if you would put this on your CV. Accompanied with other skills and achievements, it’s great to show you’re achieving things as an individual; however make sure you’re showing off the relevant achievements you’ve made, using relevant skills for the roles you’re applying for.

5) Got a LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn is for anybody, not just major executives or business owners; for those exploring future career options, LinkedIn is for you! This social media site is the most similar to writing an online CV, however there are some digital aspects and you can even be head hunted. There’s no better place to showcase those relevant, engaging skills and achievements than on your LinkedIn profile, where you can meet other influencers, industry experts and build connections with other people like yourself. Get networking!

6) Seek Education Professionals

The last section takes us in nicely to speak about seeking out other education professionals. Following other educators could land you with great inspirational lists on Twitter, or the next chance for you to get to a networked event! How often do you get networking? 

Networking with others means that you can exchange fresh ideas! Take inspiration from a classic classroom strategy they are sharing, or share your own new resource that you’ve found or created! You can introduce new practices in to your workplace that you learn, meaning that you get noticed when other opportunities arrive, allowing you to climb your career ladder.

7) Get Blogging

Let’s speak more about getting creative and developing your personal brand, offering something that NOBODY else can; your experiences! Blogging enables you to reach the billions of people using the internet every day. If you can provide value to an audience, then you can ask them for something in return too. If you want to get engaging with that network of educational professionals you have just built, then your own blog will allow you to establish the authority and write about important topics relevant to those in your network.

Use blogging as an opportunity to teach yourself what you don’t know and communicate what you do know.

8) Follow and Research

Is there a school that you really wish you could have the opportunity to work at, but they never advertise any roles? Get following their social media pages! The school is guaranteed to post that they have roles available, and if you’re regularly engaging with their posts, they will be aware of your name and your personal brand before you even apply! Social media also gives you a fantastic opportunity to research about the school you wish to join, their ethos, their tone and even their community! Get involved and actively be a part of the school community before you are hired.

9) Google Yourself

What comes up when you google yourself? Are there positive things being said about you? Are there inappropriate posts showing that you thought you had deleted? Are people having conversations about you online? 

As well as Googling Yourself, google the school that you want to join! As well as following their social media pages you are aware of, you may find other social media posts about them or conversations happening about the school. There’s nothing like finding a bad review on a job ratings website, or a conversation happening on Facebook about why a school has a sudden influx of recruitment. Remember, just because social media can be used to find out things about you, it can also be used to find out things about your potential new placement!

10) Follow Kent School Jobs

Kent School Jobs social media pages are on all the big social media channels and do the hard work for you! Do you want to see Kent school vacancies on Facebook? Click here. Want to hear about new roles whilst also getting some wellbeing tips in your newsfeed? Follow our Twitter page! Want us to bring the jobs to you on LinkedIn? Follow our Kent School Jobs showcase page!

Of course, we have other social media channels that you can follow too, check us out in the top right-hand corner of your web browser! But most importantly, have fun job searching and relish that personal brand you’ve just created; it can go a long way to securing that dream job!

Next up, you need to know how to prepare for school interviews. The education team from Connect2Staff have recently written a fantastic blog article on our site to help you this. Give it a read!

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