- Students overall use YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat more than other social media platforms, but almost half (48%) use LinkedIn most often during the job search.
- 6 in 10 (60%) students say a company’s social media activity can tell them a lot about the company culture. But female students are more likely than male students to say they can find out a lot about a company’s culture online (65% vs. 54%).
- An overwhelming majority (88%) of students say they are most likely to visit the company website when they’re interested in learning more about a company or are considering applying for a job.
Social media can be a great tool to connect with potential job candidates, but it’s important to know where college students are actually looking for information about work opportunities and company culture.
A new survey of 2,500 undergraduates finds that a majority (58%) who either have or are looking for an internship or full-time job say LinkedIn is a useful platform when it comes to searching for work. Just 2 in 10 (20%) students say Facebook is useful, while almost 3 in 10 (29%) don’t think any social media platforms are helpful.
Similarly, almost half (48%) of students use LinkedIn most often to learn about companies or job opportunities, while fewer students use Facebook (6%) or Instagram (3%) most often. More than one-third (35%) of students don’t use any social platforms during the job search.
LinkedIn is Used Most Often in the Job Search
Which platform do you use MOST OFTEN to learn about companies or job/internship opportunities?
LinkedIn’s popularity is on par with other popular employment-related websites. More than half of students use LinkedIn (58%), Handshake (56%), and Indeed (51%) to search for jobs and/or research employers.
Students from different racial and ethnic backgrounds have varying views, but a minority (43%) of students overall say social media has been useful in their job searches. Asian (51%), black (50%), and Hispanic (48%) students are more likely than white students (40%) to find social media helpful.
Overall, students find social media more helpful when it comes to researching specific companies than finding job openings. Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) students say social media is useful to learn about a company, while 37% say it can help connect with potential employers. But black (72%) and Asian students (68%) are more likely than white students (55%) to find social media helpful for learning about companies. Similarly, more than 4 in 10 black (44%) and Asian students (46%) say social media is useful for connecting with potential employers, compared to one-third (33%) of white students.
An overwhelming majority (88%) of students say they are most likely to visit the company website when they’re interested in learning more about a company or are considering applying for a job. By comparison, only 3% of students say they are most likely to visit the company’s Facebook page.
Still, 6 in 10 (60%) students say a company’s social media activity can tell them a lot about the culture of the company and the people who work there, compared to 40% who say the information on social media about a company or organization is not very reliable. However, female students are more trusting of social media and are more likely than male students to say they can find out a lot about a company’s culture online (65% vs. 54%).
Female Students are More Likely to Trust a Company’s Social Media Presence
Which of the following statements comes closest to your view, even if neither is exactly right?
On top of being the most useful, LinkedIn is also students’ preferred platform for connecting with recruiters and hiring managers. A strong majority (85%) of students think it’s appropriate for a potential employer to reach out via LinkedIn, while about one-quarter (26%) think it’s appropriate over Facebook. Fewer students say reaching out to them on Twitter (10%) or Instagram (9%) is appropriate. And students feel similarly about reaching out to companies themselves.
To receive regular updates about this study, as well as other key college student insights, sign up here.
__________________________
Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 2,500 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
