Chat and bat for a job

Job hunting has always been a tedious task. One has to create and update a resume, send it out to all the agencies, post it on different online media like ‘LinkedIn’ and ‘Naukri’, and finally wait for a reply or call. Sometimes, it takes a month or more.

When patience wears thin after all the waiting, one tends to redo the process. But with today’s means of technology, job offers are present on different social networking sites, namely Facebook. Business groups and the ‘likes’ on a particular post make job hunting all the more easy.

With popular groups like ‘Put Me In Touch’, many candidates find their perfect jobs with ease. When the HR or any employee from a particular company asks people to join an organisation with a Facebook status, they receive quick responses. Interviews are then communicated and if the candidate is suitable for the position, he or she is hired.

Divya Mithra, a content writer, says, “I found Facebook to be very helpful while searching for a job. When one of my friends posted about a hiring process with ‘U&I’, a non-profit organisation, I applied for it and got the job. My current job was also offered to me when I read about it on the ‘Put Me In Touch’ group.”

Many Bengalureans feel that social media is a faster way to find suitable job opportunities. Santhosh Rajan, a software engineer, adds, “I saw a post asking for software developers and I sent in my resume. When they offered me a full-time position with the desired salary package, I joined within three days. After a few months, I posted a query for new employees and got a lot of resumes.”|

The social practice earlier was to upload resumes on websites such as ‘Monster India’ and ‘LinkedIn’ and expect someone to give you a call. But with Facebook in place, both the recruiter and candidate can explore each other’s requirements, giving it that personal touch.

The recruiters can check the candidates’ personal pages and conduct a background check before they are shortlisted. They get an idea if the person is worth interviewing and if they would be suitable for the company.

Bailey Cherian, an employee at an MNC, says, “‘Naukri’ feels like a good place for freshers to explore. ‘LinkedIn’ works best if you have a few good connections. But with Facebook, anyone who can access the group will know about the opportunity. Since people spend so much time on social media websites, it makes it easier for them to find opportunities through there as well.”

Another reason one prefers the mode of Facebook is to avoid unwanted calls. The ones who’ve registered on job portal websites are often bombarded with job offers that sometimes don’t apply to them.

The candidates are easily irritated with the calls even with the ‘do not disturb’ and ‘already found a job’ options.

Samragni, a filmmaker, often posts requirements for actors on Facebook groups. She says, “I was working on a Hindi project and it’s not that easy to get actors who can speak Hindi really well. I posted it on some of the groups on Facebook and got replies for it as well. I even cast one of the guys from there!”

When it comes to recruiting, the regular job portals fail to provide the desired results. The recruiters are in return flooded with resumes that are completely irrelevant. With Facebook’s scale and reach, one’s network itself can come to help with their career.