Facebook just made it easier for you to find a new job

With pretty much every human and every company now on Facebook, it makes sense that the social networking site would be a great place to find a job — which many people have already discovered through groups and pages focused on networking and open positions in local areas.

But Facebook is now taking it a step further — allowing companies and users to go through the job hiring process entirely within the platform.

The company recently announced that users in the U.S. and Canada can now search and apply for jobs directly from the Facebook website and mobile app.

Facebook’s new job feature: How it works

Companies can now use Facebook’s new feature to publish a job posting right on their page, just like a status update or other type of post.

Users can search for open positions on a specific company’s page, as well as in the new ‘jobs’ section — which you can find on the left side of your home page under ‘Explore.’ If you don’t see it, click ‘see more’ at the bottom of the ‘Explore’ section and that should make the new feature visible.

When you see a job posting you’re interested in, just click ‘apply now’ and it will lead you to an auto-populated page that contains your name and any education or employment history that you’ve made public on your profile.

If you want to make any changes, you’ll have the option to edit the information before you submit it. And while there’s currently no option to upload your resume, there is a 1,000-character text box that allows you to enter additional information, a cover letter etc.

When you hit send, your application is sent directly to the company in a Facebook message.

What sets this new feature apart from LinkedIn is the fact that Facebook users come back every day. And while you may not be actively looking for a new job, you may come across a posting on Facebook for a position you didn’t even realize you were interested in.

Read more: Why a woman was fired for a Facebook post before her first day on the job

What to consider before using the feature

This can be a great way to find job leads and open positions that you haven’t seen anywhere else. But before you use the new feature, there are a few things you need to consider. While employers will likely check your Facebook profile anyway, applying directly through the platform might make it easier for them to discover even more about you.

What information about you is public on Facebook?

Employers will only be able to see information about you that you’ve made public, according to Facebook. So make sure to check your privacy settings and review what all about you is out there that a potential employer could see.

Clean up your profile before you apply for a job — on Facebook or through any other system

If you’re applying for a job through Facebook’s new feature, cleaning up your profile is a no-brainer — remove any photos, posts, tags etc. that could jeopardize your changes of getting a job.

Even if you’re applying directly on a company’s website, you should go through the same clean-up process for all of your social media accounts. Most employers these days will check your accounts — and if they find something they don’t like, your application goes in the trash.

If you’re interested in a specific company, ‘like’ the page on Facebook

That way any time the company posts a new job, it will show up in your News Feed.

You can also use the new feature to find jobs, then apply directly on the company’s website

While you should still clean up your profile and your digital presence in general, if you want to avoid handing over your life on Facebook, just go directly to the company’s website after you see a job posting you’re interested in on Facebook.

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