According to Undercover Recruiter, 84 percent of companies use social media to recruit, so if you aren’t currently using social media in your job search, you may be missing out on some great potential jobs.

It’s now commonly accepted that employers will search for your name online before conducting to see how you present yourself on social media and to judge if you would be a good fit for the company.

While you may think this means setting everything to private is the best approach, having no social media presence can also work against you as it either looks like you’re trying to cover something up, or that you simply don’t have any social media skills.

Instead, it’s a much better idea to cultivate a professional, well-presented social media presence. Read on for some tips on how to use social media to your advantage to get the perfect grad job.

Use social media and other websites to search for relevant jobs (or better yet, let them come to you)

Long gone are the days of searching in newspapers and magazines for grad jobs. Nowadays grad jobs are mostly found online and you’ll probably be well acquainted with the most popular online job boards (Reed, Monster, Indeed, Milkround).

Facebook and Twitter may not be your first port of call when looking for a grad job, but the former does actually have its own official job board, which shows you jobs in your local area, and you can also join specialist groups for job seekers as well as follow company profiles.

Twitter can be used to find postings for grad jobs by searching hashtags such as #jobpostings, #jobopening, #jobsearch and #careers. You can also use more industry-specific hashtags such as #techjobs if you know which industry you’re looking to get into.

As the ‘professional network’, it’s no surprise LinkedIn also has its own job board, showing jobs from a diverse range of companies that it thinks might be of interest to you, given what you have uploaded and searched for in the past. Some companies hire directly through LinkedIn, using the information you’ve already uploaded, and other times you are directed to the company’s website.

Get your resume online everywhere you can

LinkedIn is likely to become your best friend when it comes to social media job applications, as it is the most commonly checked social network by employers. Uploading your resume here will draw more attention to it and improve your job prospects.

LinkedIn even has a special tool where it uses keywords from your resume to generate relevant job opportunities, as well as recommending you to recruiting employers if you fit their job description.

To take full advantage of this, you should use industry buzzwords in your resume to really stand out – try searching relevant job ads on LinkedIn to see which keywords crop up and use these on your profile.  If you don’t have an account already, check out the LinkedIn students page for more information on how to set up the perfect online profile.  

Online job board sites such as Reed and Indeed are also great places to upload your resume to get attention from potential employers, especially since there is often an option to have an open resume, where employers can view your resume even if you haven’t applied for the job, with the option to send you an email if they’re interested.

The fine line between professionalism and showing your personality

Nobody wants to hire a cold, professional robot (not yet anyway), but equally, showing a potential employer too many pictures from that time you got drunk with your friends in Malta might not be ideal either. As with most things in life, it’s about balance.

Creating a website or a blog can be a great way to show your personality as well as showcase your work. Think of your website as a kind of online portfolio, and a way to show your dedication and passion for your chosen industry.

Once you’re happy your website is error free and contains good content, a great way to spread the work is to use your social media channels to promote it to your friends and followers, by posting about it and providing links to your website in your bio, as well as in your job applications.

Show your creative side when searching for jobs

Being slightly creative with your job application can sometimes be a great way to capture employers’ attention. Some people show this creativity in their CV; for example the guy who spent his last £500 on a big billboard trying to get people to hire him.

While we’re not saying that’s what you should be doing (it’s way too expensive for one thing!) it can help if you think outside the box sometimes.

Think about what’s appropriate for the job (and the company) you’re applying for. For a job in design, for example, it might make sense to be creative with your CV or cover letter to show companies what you can do.

Don’t be afraid to make speculative applications if there’s a company you really want to work for but they aren’t currently advertising. Include links to relevant social media accounts (LinkedIn, WordPress etc.) and they’ll be able to get up-to-date information about you whenever they decide to consider you for an opening. You can also contact relevant individuals on LinkedIn, sending a polite email to let them know of your interest in their firm.

Build a strong network and engage in relevant conversation

Building a strong network is probably one of the most important things you can do on social media to find a grad job, and there are plenty of ways you can do this.

Add people on LinkedIn that you meet through networking events, internships or even on your course at uni to help build your network.

You could also join groups on LinkedIn and Facebook that are relevant to you, including school and university alumni groups and groups for industries you’re interested in working in. You never know when these groups may have useful contacts that will be able to help you find a job in the future.

However just joining these groups is often not enough. Engagement is the key factor to networking – you are unlikely to be successful if you just have social media, you need to engage with people in order to build relationships.

Comment on and engage with any news or updates related to your industry, with researched and considered answers that show that you’re taking an interest in the industry.

While job searching, be a detective

No, you don’t have to become the next Sherlock Holmes, but it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on your investigative skills.

It can be easy to forget sometimes that you only need the one job, so it is always better to spend more time submitting a great application for a job you really want, than applying for many jobs quickly and putting less time into each application.

Researching the role and the company fully before you apply will make it easier to write a cover letter and give you a better indication as to whether you can see yourself being happy in the role on offer. After looking through the company’s website, the next point of call should be the company’s social media sites; Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn etc.

A company’s social media accounts should give you a good indication of how it wants customers to portray them. For example, is the tone of the social media formal or informal? Are the images fun or strictly professional? On LinkedIn, check to see if you have any connections who work at the company, and if so, ask yourself whether you can reach out to them to put in a good word for you.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has retained its title as the best university in the world for graduate employability.

The American university – which also tops the QS World University Rankings 2020 – narrowly ranks ahead of Stanford University and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) which are second and third respectively. The complete top 10 can be seen at the bottom of this page.

To determine which universities are producing the most employable graduates, our rankings considers five key indicators, including graduate employability rate and alumni outcomes (read more about this on our methodology page).

These indicators allow universities which may not typically be ranked among the world’s best to earn credit for how successfully they prepare students for the world of work. For instance, UCLA, the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne are all in the top 10 of the Graduate Employability Rankings despite falling outside of the world’s top 25 universities in our world ranking.

Journalist Martin Ince writes in our rankings supplement: “A look at the top 50 universities listed here shows the GER’s scope for some surprise. No fewer than 23 are at least ten places higher than their position in the WUR, with noteworthy differences for institutions such as Waterloo in Canada, Waseda in Japan and Karlsruhe in Germany.

“The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 provide a timely reminder that, when students seek to find the perfect university for their career goals, the most famous name is not always the most suitable one.”

Take a closer look at this year's top 10 below, or click here for the full table.

The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 features 49 UK universities in the global top 500, with 33 of these claiming positions in the top 250.

The Graduate Employability Rankings are deigned to help students compare universities based on how employable its graduates are. This is based on a multitude of factors, with five indicators used to compile these rankings; employer reputation, alumni outcomes, partnerships with employers, employer/student connections and graduate employment rate. You can read more about the methodology here.

Read on to find out about 10 of the top universities in the UK for graduate employability.

10. University of Nottingham

In 10^th place in the list of the top universities in the UK for graduate employability is the University of Nottingham, situated in the Midlands, coming in at 62^nd place, with its best score in the partnerships with employers indicator at 50^th. The university’s careers and employability service holds regular recruitment and careers fairs in different sectors to help university students meet potential employers in the industry of their choice. The careers service also runs employer talks and skills workshops to help students improve their employability.

9. University of Bristol

In the south west of England, we have the University of Bristol, which ranks ninth among the top universities in the UK for graduate employability, and 58^th in the world (dropping 11 places this year). The University of Bristol’s best score was earned in the employer reputation indicator, where it comes 47^th in the world. Bristol is one of the UK’s prestigious research-intensive Russell Group universities and has connections with hundreds of employers, which students can benefit from by visiting the career fairs offered by the university.

8. University of Leeds

The University of Leeds ranks at 51^st in the world, and eighth in the UK for graduate employability in the UK. Situated in West Yorkshire, the university scores well in the employer reputation and the partnerships with employers indicators, ranking 63^rd and 79^th respectively.

Leeds offers accredited careers modules, which allow students to develop a clearer picture of career motivations, take a work placement year and find out about the graduate job market from recruiters and career consultants.

7. University of Edinburgh

Heading to Scotland, where the University of Edinburgh rises 11 places to rank 48^th in the world and comes in at seventh place in the UK. The university ranks 37^th place for employer reputation, and offers a strong careers service, which offers careers events, information, advice and guidance services and even the opportunity to complete an Edinburgh Award, an award that helps you gain work experience through either the university’s summer internship program, international volunteering, enterprising or work experience.

6. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Ranking 45^th in the world for graduate employability is another of the top universities in the UK, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). LSE has a strong academic reputation worldwide and produces cutting edge research, as well as world renowned teaching in the heart of the UK’s capital city. With famous alumni including John F. Kennedy, Mick Jagger, David Attenborough, David Rockefeller and George Soros, it’s hardly surprising that LSE scores well in the alumni outcomes and the employer reputation indicators, where it ranks 13^th and eighth respectively.

5. The University of Manchester

Falling six places to rank 41^st in the graduate employability rankings this year is The University of Manchester, placing fifth in the UK. The University of Manchester scores well in the employer reputation indicator in 20^th place, being a part of the reputable Russell Group and with the university’s career center offering many opportunities to meet employers and professionals on campus, and well as providing training for things like psychometric tests, which are a common requirement for graduate job applications. 

4. Imperial College London

Up three places this year in the graduate employability rankings, Imperial College London is undoubtedly one of the top universities in the UK, at fourth place in the UK and 30^th in the world. Imperial College London has an excellent academic reputation, as a part of the research intensive  Russell Group, as well as being an extremely international university which is involved in significant research collaborations worldwide, so it is unsurprising that employer reputation is where Imperial College London performs best, placing seventh in the world.

3. UCL (University College London)

In the top three universities in the UK is UCL (University College London), ranking 22^nd in the world for graduate affordability. Based in central London, UCL’s best scores are in the employer reputation and the alumni outcomes indicators. UCL’s notable alumni includes David Attenborough, Mahatma Gandhi, Robert Browning and Alexander Graham Bell. UCL has a strong international reputation due to the quality of its research and world class teaching offered across all its courses, with research-based teaching methodology, which means that research is integrated into many of the courses offered.

2. University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is probably the most widely known university in the UK, as well as the oldest university in the English-speaking world, having been established in 1096. Its history and influence has given it a prestigious reputation as one of the best universities in the world, placing 10^th this year for graduate employability. The university’s alumni include 28 of the UK’s prime ministers, 69 Nobel Prize winners, 160 Olympic medalists. It is therefore unsurprising that the University of Oxford earns its highest scores in the employer reputation and alumni outcomes indicators, where it places third and fourth respectively.

1. University of Cambridge

Top of our list of the best universities in the UK for graduate employability is the University of Cambridge, coming in at eighth in the world. The university’s best score is for its employer reputation, where it places second, reflecting its proven academic excellence and traditional scholarly values, which have contributed to making Cambridge one of the top universities in the world for teaching, research and an international outlook.

With notable alumni including Stephen Hawking, Alan Turing, Emma Thompson, Lord Byron and Charles Darwin, the University of Cambridge also scores well on the alumni outcomes indicator, ranking eighth in the world. 

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The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 have now been released, showcasing the best universities in the world for promoting the employability of their graduates. With post-graduation job prospects always a high priority among students, it can be useful to research and compare which universities are succeeding at producing the most employable and connected graduates.

The ranking was compiled based on a methodology which considers each institution’s employer reputation, graduate employment rate, partnerships with employers and more.

Read on as we count down the 10 best universities in the world for graduate employability in 2020.

10. University of Oxford

Starting in the UK, the University of Oxford retains its position of 10^th in the world for graduate employability this year, with top five scores for the indicators measuring employer reputation and alumni outcomes. This is no surprise when considering the university’s 800-year reputation of high-quality education, and excellent track record of producing some of the most notable figures in arts, politics, science and other fields.

9. University of Hong Kong (HKU)

New to the top 10 this year is the University of Hong Kong (HKU), which climbed four spots this year to now rank ninth in the world for graduate employability. This is thanks to an improved score in the partnerships with employers indicator, for which it now ranks fourth in the world, with the university maintaining partnerships with firms such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which focuses on incorporating its Strategic Professional level exams into the accounting curriculum.

8. University of Cambridge

Next in our run through of the 10 best universities in the world for graduate employability is the University of Cambridge, down one spot to rank eighth in the world in 2020. Like Oxford, it achieves particularly impressive scores for the employer reputation and alumni outcomes indicators, with a similar array of influential and successful graduates to its name, such as Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton and Emma Thompson.

7. University of Melbourne

Ranked seventh in the world for graduate employability in 2020, Australia’s University of Melbourne achieves its best score in the employer reputation indicator, and is a member of the prestigious Group of Eight, a coalition of elite Australian universities. It’s also the alma mater of four Australian prime ministers and five governors-general, amongst many other notable figures.

6. Tsinghua University

The 2020 edition of the QS Graduate Employability Rankings sees Mainland China’s Tsinghua University climb three places to now rank sixth in the world, with its best score in the partnerships with employers indicator. As well as being the highest-ranked Chinese entrant for graduate employability, it also comes top for Mainland China in the overall QS World University Rankings® 2020, at 16^th place.

5. Harvard University

Ranked fifth in the world for graduate employability in 2020, Harvard University, the oldest university in the US, proudly claims the number one spot for both the employer reputation and alumni outcomes indicators, and is noted for its prestige in a wide variety of fields. Its alumni includes eight US presidents, several foreign heads of state, 62 living billionaires, 359 Rhodes Scholars and 242 Marshall Scholars.

4. The University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is fourth among the best universities in the world for graduate employability and first in Australia, having gone up one place from last year. It claims top-40 positions for all five indicators, with its highest scores for the employer-student connections and partnerships with employers indicators, at 12^th and 14^th respectively. Students at Sydney are given opportunities to meet and network with leading employers from throughout the country at the university’s many careers fairs.

3. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Frequently seen in the global top 50 of the overall QS World University Rankings®, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) takes third place in the graduate employability rankings this year, with its best score in the alumni outcomes indicator. UCLA’s Career Center includes Handshake, an online platform for connecting talented students with internships, jobs and career opportunities.

2. Stanford University

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley in California, Stanford University is ranked second in the world overall for graduate employability in 2020, and first in the partnerships with employers indicator. The university’s BEAM (Bridging Education, Ambition & Meaningful Work) careers service links students with employers and helps students build their employability through job shadowing, career coaching, Stanford Alumni Mentoring, Venture Events (12 careers fairs throughout the year), and BEAM Treks, which give students the opportunity to visit different workplaces.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Last but not least in our look at the world’s best universities for graduate employability, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) once again takes the top spot in the ranking, and has also been ranked first in the overall world university rankings eight years in a row. This of course explains its high score in the employer reputation indicator, and it also features in fifth place for alumni outcomes, with an impressive array of successful former students.

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The QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2020 will be published on September 19, revealing which of the world’s universities are doing the most to produce employable graduates.

Containing just over 500 institutions, this year’s ranking is released at a time of growing concern over how well a university degree actually prepares you for graduate employment. In the UK, one in two British graduates is not in graduate work, despite the fact the vast majority are gradauting with a first class or upper-second (2:1) degree.

We consistently hear from employers who are unhappy with the skill level of today's graduates, with specialized fields such as technology and engineering suffering in particular. Too many university degrees are being taught to ensure good marks, rather than to impart knowledge and soft skills which will be useful to students in later life. 

Given these problems, this year's Graduate Employability Rankings is arguably the most important yet. We know it's not merely enough to see how many of a university's graduates are in full-time employment - too many are working in unskilled jobs that didn't require a university degree. That's why we also measure alumni outcomes, looking at more than 30,000 of the world’s most innovative, creative, wealthy, entrepreneurial, and philanthropic individuals to establish which universities are producing world-changing individuals. You can find a complete explanation of our rankings methodology here.

Last year, American universities dominated our ranking and took all of the top four positions, while Australian institutions also did noticeably well. Are these institutions still leading the way in teaching their students vital skills for the modern workplace? To find out, check back for the complete results on September 19. Until then, check out last year's results here.