Social media’s significance in the modern world cannot be emphasized. From LinkedIn to TikTok social media platforms plays an important role in the success of Canada’s newcomers.
Study findings from CBC’s MTM – (Media Technology Monitor) for 2022 indicate that almost half (42%) of newcomers who consumed news in the past month focused their attention on social media outlets.
In the report, the report says that “six or more platforms” are used by more than a third of Canadian newcomers who are using social media.
Newcomers to Canada live a lot of their lives through social media. From career opportunities and support networks to learning about Canadian culture and keeping in touch with loved ones back home, social media provides many advantages to new Canadian immigrants.
Both before and after arrival in Canada, social media can play a significant role in helping new immigrants succeed. Here we will learn about the role and importance of social media platforms in the success of Canada’s newcomers.
The role of social media in the success of Canada’s newcomers by building a strong personal brand
Economic immigration into Canada resulted in 256,000 permanent residents in 2022. The Canadian government aims this immigration category at settling talented immigrants who can contribute to the Canadian economy. Their primary contribution to the economy is by spending money on products and services after arriving in Canada, which is how they support the economy.
Building a strong personal brand before arriving in Canada will be helpful to immigrants when searching for jobs and interviewing for them. Active social media presences can assist job seekers in advertising themselves and being reachable to recruiters or hiring professionals looking for people with their skills, qualifications, and knowledge. Furthermore, while seeking a good job, immigrants (and Canadians) can gain a deeper understanding of a business’ principles, cultures, and daily operations through its various social media channels.
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter can be crucial in assessing prospects for job positions, even though many businesses conduct online background checks on their potential employees.
64% of Canadian businesses claim that social media works well for screening potential employees. In fact, 65% of businesses use social media for screening potential employees. Harris Poll found this in its latest survey released in January of this year. A survey found that more than 40% of employers who use social media for applicant screening do not hire job candidates due to information on their social media.
64% of Canadian businesses claim that social media works well for screening potential employees. In fact, 65% of businesses use social media for screening potential employees. A Harris Poll survey released in January of this year indicates this to be the case. It was reported that more than 40% of employers using social media for applicant screening reported finding information on candidates’ social media accounts that resulted in them not being hired.
In order to establish an online presence that is positive and strong, follow these tips:
Engage your audience by being active and engaging: Part of creating a positive online persona is engagement. Make regular comments and engagements with others in your field, and experts in your industry, and find other people to learn from.
Provide relevant and informative content: Potential employers can benefit from your knowledge and enthusiasm about your industry by sharing informative and relevant content.
Maintain a professional tone in your content: Make sure your posts and captions are correct, that your profile picture is a professional headshot, and that your personal and professional content doesn’t mix.
Employment opportunities through social media
The development of a strong personal brand in social media might be helpful to newcomers in securing job opportunities. Using social media increases employment chances by 3.5 times more than using conventional media, according to a Toronto Metropolitan University study.
Recruiters, companies, and careers are available through Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for newcomers to Canada. Social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter can be used to follow businesses and connect with professionals within relevant industries.
For beginners, LinkedIn can be used to interact with contacts, ask questions, and communicate about relevant topics in a professional setting. By creating connections on this site, newcomers to Canada may eventually establish relationships and discover work opportunities they would not otherwise find. A major reason for LinkedIn’s growing popularity as a job search tool is because of this. Approximately 52 million people use Hootsuite, a social media management tool, to find jobs each week, according to data from 2023. LinkedIn makes eight new hires every minute and posts 101 job applications every second.
A LinkedIn job advert gives newbies even more chances to improve their career prospects since firms can advertise directly to the platform.
Making connections with other newcomers to create a support network
The use of social media does not only make it easier to immigrate to Canada and start a career; migrants can also interact with people and build a support network that will benefit their lives outside of work.
As a result, newcomers to Canada have the opportunity to connect with people going through similar experiences when they use Facebook groups and other conventional platforms. Immigrants can join neighborhood groups on Facebook, which are specific to their neighborhood. Newcomers can meet locals and create a support network through these groups, which can eventually lead to new connections and opportunities if they share information about local activities.
Another example of a website that fosters communities is LinkedIn and Reddit, both of which allow users to connect with one another and make friendships based on similar struggles and experiences. Newcomers can communicate and share their questions, concerns, and milestones with each other on forums and before arriving in Canada, in order to make the immigration process easier.
Achieving a better understanding of Canadian culture
Newcomers to Canada can use social media to learn about cultural events, stay up-to-date on local news and trends, learn about Canadian culture, and generally improve their experience in the country.
The Twitter service, for example, lets users stay up to date on events happening across Canada. In the same way that more than 7 million Canadians already use Twitter to participate in debates about current affairs, newcomers can also contribute to these debates by following news organizations, journalists, and bloggers on the platform.
You can also connect with Canadian culture through social media in the following ways:
- You can follow Canadian influencers on Instagram or TikTok to learn about Canadian culture and perspectives.
- Getting involved with Canadian events and developing a social life in Canada can be enhanced by subscribing to YouTube channels by Canadian travel vloggers or lifestyle influencers.
Native Canadians and newcomers alike can rely on influencers for recommendations on activities, places to go, and meals to try. Immigrants themselves frequently discuss the factors that helped them feel comfortable or at home when they first arrived in Canada.
Alternatively, vloggers frequently travel across the country using video to bring their audiences along. Recent immigrants might benefit from this by getting a taste of parts of Canada they may not be familiar with, as well as understanding how life is in different regions of the country.
Keeping in touch with family and friends back home
Canada requires new immigrants to adapt to their new surroundings. However, they are equally responsible for maintaining connections with family and friends back home. More convenient than ever, social media has made it possible to stay in touch with friends and family back home.
In addition to traditional video conferencing applications such as Skype and Zoom, social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram provide affordable international communication solutions. By using these platforms, newcomers to Canada can stay in touch with loved ones back home, no matter where they may be. These platforms offer free messaging, voice calls, and video calls. Social media platforms also offer users an opportunity to exchange status updates and pictures, providing friends and family with another opportunity to stay in touch with the newcomer.
