In the Gulf, Facebook is really a job-seeking site

Social networking sites have become popular tools to search for job vacancies and career development opportunities, according to a recent poll conducted by Careertunity.com, a leading online recruitment portal in the Middle East.
Two in three (63 per cent) of the poll’s respondents said that they use social networking sites to look for jobs, making job-searching the second most common use of social media.

The majority of respondents (72 per cent) still engage social media sites to network with friends and families.
Careertunity.com conducted the survey among active members of the site in an effort to understand their preferences and usage patterns regarding social media network. The survey further revealed that 77 per cent of respondents believe that social network sites provide good information about job openings and opportunities.

Sudeshna Mukherjee, General Manager, Careertunity.com, said: “Social networking sites have been gaining momentum as popular tools to search for gainful job opportunities in any industry. Convenience, efficiency and easy accessibility are among the advantages that are making online media a top choice among jobseekers as opposed to other traditional means of job searching. Careertunity.com itself can attest to the growing importance of online social media as a significant number of jobseekers at our site have been able to connect to us through the social media network.”

Respondents of Careertunity.com’s survey ranked Facebook as the most popular social media site with a score of 4.5 on a 5-point scale, followed by Linked-In (3.5) and Twitter (3.4). Facebook has also directed the most number of users to Careertunity.com, followed by Linked-In, the Careertunity blog and Twitter.

The survey also revealed that 40 per cent of respondents use social media to keep in touch with their professional contacts, while 23 per cent use it to get the latest news.

Moreover, users of social networking sites spend between 30 minutes to four hours a day on average to keep in touch with their networks and look for jobs. In extreme cases, some people spend up to eight hours in a day on online social media.

During the evening, users usually spend time on social networking sites from 5pm to 8pm, while 33 per cent of respondents prefer to network online from 7am to 5pm.

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