More than half of UK jobseekers are now using social networks as part of the job searching process, according to a new survey from social job search engine Adzuna.co.uk.
The survey, conducted in Q4 2012 shows that over one million jobseekers are turning to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to find work.
The study revealed that the average British adult is connected to 300 relevant, open job vacancies through their first and second degree connections on social networks, while over 90% of large UK employers are now using social media to find staff.
Perhaps surprising since Linkedin is considered to be “the” place to go for professional networking, the survey suggests that jobseekers in the UK would rather leverage their Facebook (43%) than Linkedin (22%) networks to find a job.
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In regards to industries, retail, Design & IT professionals top the charts for the most social jobseekers, with 33% of people surveyed in these industries claiming to have used social networks to land their dream job.
Domestic, Maintenance and Legal job sectors are the least social jobseekers with less than 5% of people working in these industries choosing to use social networking sites to find work.
Commenting on the findings, Adzuna Co-Founder, Andrew Hunter, said:
“It’s clear that the way in which people look for work has changed dramatically in the last two-three years and it’s hugely exciting to witness how social media has quickly become an integral part of the job hunting process.
“The rate at which British job hunters have been registering for our social job hunting tool ‘Adzuna Connect’ has been staggering in the last six months, suggesting that 2013 looks set to be the year where job seekers fully embrace social networks to find their dream job.”
