Having a Lot of Facebook Friends Can Help You Land a New Job
By Lovella Bantasan | Apr 02, 2016 08:37 AM EDT
Networking is important to finding a job and when it comes to a job hunt Facebook circle can play a role in your professional networking.
In the US, over 54% of adults have a Facebook account, and 40% of social network users have "friended" their closest friends on social networking websites.
The study "Social Networks and Labor Markets: How Strong Ties Relate to Job Finding On Facebook's Social Network" by Laura K. Gee, a professor in Tuft University conducted a research on employed individuals in United States ages 16-64 which is approximately six million individuals, or about 4% of the US Facebook Population.
Research shows about 400,000 people, got a job thanks to help from at least one friend.
Researchers determine how close a Facebook friend is, by counting the number of times people interact in a year, the number of mutual friends they share or the number of times they are tagged in each other's photos. If you are tagged in a photo together, after all, that means that you are, at least in theory, friends in real life and not just online.
The study also stated that a majority of jobs are found through social ties, and those who found a job via social ties have higher productivity and longer tenure, according to the study.
"If you're currently unemployed and looking for a job or your current job is expiring, you might consider broadcasting your job-seeking status to your Facebook Friends. Consider writing a status update letting people in your network know that you're looking for a new job." Gee said, "Narrowly target specific requests for job help to your close friends, such as sending a message asking about their workplaces. Informing your friends in Facebook about your job search is a good investment as long as you can reach many quickly."
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