Did you get a job interview? Are you now wondering how to set yourself apart from the other applicants? Or are you thinking about what to write on your job application?
Osa sisällöstämme on saatavilla myös englanniksi. Tämä artikkeli on julkaistu suomeksi täällä.
It’s good to get to know a potential future employer both when you’re writing your application and when you’re preparing for your job interview. This will show the employer that you really want the position.
A typical applicant will look for information on the company website, which usually does function as a good source of information. The problem is that everyone you’re competing with has also seen the same website. There are far less people looking for information on Instagram, so doing this will give you a great head start.
Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels in Finland and companies have found it too. Companies are usually using it to build up their brand and to post behind the scenes –type of material. The latter ones can specifically great sources of information for a job applicant.
Where to find information?
The first step will naturally be to look for the Instagram profile of your possible future employer. Many companies highlight their Instagram profiles on their websites, but if this is not the case, the easiest way to proceed is to simply write ”company name + instagram” on Google. Besides mobile phones, Instagram also works on regular browsers and you can look at public profiles even if you don’t have an Instagram account.
If a company doesn’t have an Instagram profile or it’s not giving you enough information, you can turn to the company’s employees’ profiles. You can do this by looking for the company’s employees on LinkedIn or on the company website and then find their Instagram profiles with Google. Another way is to take advantage of the hashtags on Instagram. Many people post pictures from their work and tag the company. This might be especially useful when you’re looking for employees of smaller companies.
What kind of information are you looking for?
Find out what the profiles are showcasing. A visually stunning profile might for example tell you that the company values quality and aesthetics. Are the employees doing sports together often? This implies that the people working there are athletic. Do they spend a lot of time together outside of the workplace? This means that the employees are probably very social and get along well. Do they have any other traditions that seem to be repeated often? Do they for example do charity?
Many companies will also advertise any open vacancies on Instagram and if you’re lucky, you can even find hidden jobs there. This means jobs that are not publicly announced or there might not even be any active search for these positions. It’s definitely worth it to follow interesting companies on Instagram even if you’re not looking for a new job right now.
How should you use the information you find on Instagram?
First of all you can figure out if you would be a good fit for the team. You shouldn’t cross out any company off your list just based on an Instagram profile, but a profile might give you some indication of what the employees are like.
Another way is to use the information you gathered from Instagram at the job interview. Almost every interviewer will want to know why you applied for that specific company. This is a good time to lift up a specific example that shows why you want to work for the company and why you should be the one chosen.
”I noticed that you keep up the team spirit with common events where even the bosses participate. I would also like to be a part of a work community where good team spirit is important.”
”I noticed that you participated in the running event X together. I believe that as an athletic type I would fit right in with your training group.”
Instagram will of course not tell you the whole truth and remember that you shouldn’t base your opinions solely on the information that you find on Instagram. At it’s best Instagram might however give you information that will show the interviewer you’ve done your research and that will set you apart from the rest of the applicants.
Suomeksi: Näin hyödynnät Instagramia työnhaussa