Facebook’s job search tool can help lower-skilled workers

Caroline Lozano/ Assistant Opinion Director

As someone who’s been using Facebook since sophomore year of high school, I can vouch for how much the social media website has helped me and those close to me throughout the years.

Apart from providing me with a way to communicate with friends—as was my initial use of the site back in 2010—it has allowed me to connect with a number of relatives both in the United States and in other countries.

It has also given me a way to network and keep in touch with co-workers and former bosses, allowing me to share personal interests and goals that would otherwise go undiscussed in regular conversation.

For my career pursuits, on the other hand, websites such as LinkedIn have provided me with a way to network and contact potential employers, while simultaneously maintaining an air of professionalism.

Rather than browsing through a friend’s photo album on their latest vacation trip, I’m browsing through contacts I can add to build my network, which can eventually help me land a future job.

The content LinkedIn does have pertains only to the workplace or the job market, like how to build long-term relationships with co-workers or advice from longtime workers from a specific company.

This is far from the content I usually see on Facebook, which can change from cute animal videos to the latest K-pop trend every time I refresh my news feed.

While a job search and application function has been in place in the United States and Canada since 2017, I’ve never heard of anyone actually using it to search for work or to pursue their career goals. Facebook is so personalized to suit the tastes and wants of each individual that it’s hard to associate it with anything job-related.

So when I heard that Facebook was expanding their job search function to countries like the U.K., Spain, France, Brazil and Italy, it was initially a huge surprise. Who would ever want to search for a job through Facebook? Doesn’t LinkedIn or Glassdoor suffice?

Despite its rudimentary format when compared to LinkedIn and FIU’s Handshake, Facebook’s job search application can prove to be helpful, especially to those who refuse to go anywhere near sites like LinkedIn.

As much of a fan I am of LinkedIn, it’s catered more towards those who are seeking long-term top tier careers, as opposed to small business and low-skilled workers — the latter being what Facebook appears to be going after.

In a way, it is like a combination of Craigslist (which includes low level work) and sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and others, allowing users to search for full-time, part-time, and even internships near or far to the individual’s location and with the choice of job industrythough it noticeably lacks the professional feel of LinkedIn.

From browsing through the platform, the jobs listed can vary from small businesses to quick, easy money work. These types of jobs can greatly benefit those who do not have the funds to attend college or who are just starting out in the job world and need experience to climb up the career ladder.

On LinkedIn, however, the jobs usually listed are from top companies or large businesses, requiring more qualifications, such as specific degrees or years of experience, in order to work.

Of course, Facebook’s new job search tool is still young and I’m sure with some time and feedback, it’ll expand its functions to better suit their target users, and quite possibly, compete against LinkedIn, FIU’s Handshake, Indeed, Glassdoor, and the like.

 

DISCLAIMER:

The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of Panther Press Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.

 

Photo by William Iven on Unsplash.

About the Author

Caroline Lozano
Caroline Lozano is a senior pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English. She enjoys writing, reading, traveling, listening to music (especially The Beatles), attending cons, and watching movies/shows on Netflix. One of her goals is to become an accomplished writer of novels and short stories. Caroline is also fluent in Spanish.

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