The best Facebook groups for job seekers

They say job hunting is all about who you know.

It’s not just a saying: the Bureau of Labor Statistics does an annual study in the United States that consistently shows over 70% of jobs come from networking — not from applying to those black hole online job portals (cough, cough, Indeed), crossing your fingers, and waiting.

So if you’re already well connected when you want to find a new job, well…good for you.

But, what if you’re like the other 99% of people who are not quite as well-connected as you’d like? Don’t worry — there’s still hope for you!

If you’re willing to initiate contact and create honest-to-goodness relationships, there are tons of ways to expand your network that won’t leave you feeling like a slimy used car salesperson (no toupee needed).

One of my favorite tactics for near-instant access to lots of thoughtful, kind, generous people is curated Facebook group communities. There are some SUPER powerful groups out there, just waiting for you to join and add value.

A few words of advice on Facebook groups before you dive in:

• The bigger the group is, the more important it is to be well moderated and controlled in order to be helpful. Often, smaller groups are better moderated because their founders are still intimately involved, so finding Facebook groups that have fewer than 100,000 members is a good strategy. And as this article ages (hopefully more like a fine wine than like a forgotten bag of brussel sprouts), some of these groups may grow to the point that they’re less helpful. So, join each of them, watch the activities and energy of the group for a week or two, and see what works best for you!
• Many Facebook groups start organically in specific cities and then become more national as they grow. So while a group might appear to be focused more in one state, it’s likely it includes folks in other states, too, so don’t despair! As a plus, if the company you want to work for in your hometown is headquartered in one of these states, you’ve got a way better likelihood of finding a connection in the bigger market who can introduce you to someone in your smaller home market.
• If you are not helpful and kind to individuals in these groups, you probably won’t get helpfulness and kindness in return. (Karma, right?) These are not purely transactional communities filled with robots! They are humans just like you, so treat them like humans by building relationships, getting to know them, and being respectful of their time, resources, network, and help. They are posting to be helpful to you, but you know what it feels like to be taken advantage of (like that one time in high school when you offered to “tutor” the cute lacrosse player, and then ended up doing their homework for them). Don’t put them in that position!

Here are five fab Facebook groups to start your community building:

• Dreamers // Doers: Jobs + Gigs: I’m obsessed with the Dreamers // Doers job board. This group is a free offering from an application-only paid community of badass ladies. The paid group is even more powerful for making introductions and supporting one another, but the free Facebook group has tons of jobs contributed each day and is moderated beautifully to make them easily searchable. While there are usually nationwide jobs posted here, they tend to have a lot of NYC-specific roles. This is also a community exclusively for women!
• Bossed Up Courage Community: This is an online group that’s an offshoot of Emilie Aries’ Bossed Up brand. This group has lots of community support, with individuals asking and answering job search questions every day. Because Aries started the tribe when she was living and working in D.C., there are often more Beltway opportunities, but it’s a diverse group of ladies from across the country. The community tends to be mostly women, so keep that in mind as you browse the opportunities.
• Albert’s List: if you’re in the San Francisco Bay area, this is a great group for you. You’ll see recruiters post jobs that include sexy brands like Google, LinkedIn, Udemy, Pocket, and more. They also post lots of informational resources, including online webinars, in-person meetups, and links to super helpful books. And there’s a master list of recruiters and helpful contacts who participate in the Albert’s List community in case you’re, say, looking for the best connection to the marketing department at Salesforce.
• HireClub: This is another great online community for Bay Area job seekers. Ketan, the founder, is super involved in cultivating and educating the HireClub community. He brings together employers for in-person networking events, and his team curates lots of job opportunities and helpful articles each day. If companies like Facebook, Airbnb, or BetterHelp catch your attention, check out this group!
• Lean In Los Angeles: This one comes on recommendation: Sheryl Sandberg’s wildly successful book, Lean In, spawned a movement of women rallying around professional development in cities across the U.S. While you can probably identity a Lean In group in a major city near you (or use their website to volunteer to found a Lean In Circle in your area!), the Los Angeles chapter has a reputation for being particularly helpful and active.

What other Facebook Group communities do you know or (or use) that are fabulously helpful? Leave a comment below, and I’ll keep updating this article with other vetted, high-quality groups!

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Lisa Lewis is a career change coach who helps unfulfilled individuals create lucrative, soulful, and joyful new career paths. Don’t love your job? We should talk. Learn more at GetCareerClarity.com or check out The Career Clarity Show podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and Google Play.