BETHLEHEM, PA—New college graduates are embracing social media as a job-search tool, according to a new study conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). 

Approximately 41 percent of 2012 college graduates in the market for a job are using social media to help them land one, according to NACE’s 2012 Student Survey. 

Students are most likely to use social media in the job search to network with employers, according to survey results. However, the survey also found that students are nearly as likely to use social media as a means for researching employers—and this use is gaining in popularity. 

“Nearly one-quarter of 2012 graduates using social media identified it as a research tool, up from 17 percent just a year ago, and up from 15 percent among 2010 graduates,” says Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director. 

According to Mackes, “Students are using it to seek out salary and compensation information, job descriptions, and information about the employer’s training and development programs.”   

Social media as a job-search tool has gained traction since NACE began tracking its use in 2008. 

In fact, just 7 percent of the Class of 2008 reported interacting with an employer through social media, and more than half said they didn’t even notice employer ads on social networking sites. Today, data show this has changed significantly.  

“Unlike students four years ago who were unclear about the use of social media in the job search, today’s students see it a viable tool to gather employer information,” says Mackes.                                                                                             

The current study also found that responding seniors using social media in their job search are most likely to use Facebook and LinkedIn.