Facebook’s new Graph Search feature (currently available for English (US) audiences) may change the way we view the importance of LinkedIn for job search. Most people consider that LinkedIn is the most useful social network for business and career connections. But in the USA more people now report finding jobs with Facebook than LinkedIn. Facebook’s roll out of Graph Search may see it overtake LinkedIn for job search.

Graph Search helps people explore Facebook in a whole new way. Graph Search results are different for everyone, based on who your friends are and what privacy settings they have. Your privacy choices determine what your friends see when they search.

Mark Zuckerberg says that Newsfeed and Timeline have been the pillars of Facebook, but now Graph search will become another pillar. They have recently launched it as a new service but it will be an ongoing project, refined and developed.

When two people do a web search for a specific term, they get similar results. But with Graph Search everyone will get different results.

With Graph Search you can look up anything shared with you on Facebook, and others can find anything you’ve shared with them.

Graph Search results are personalised in the same way that News Feed is unique to you.

For example, if you search for Photos of London, you’ll see photos your friends took in London and shared with you, as well as public photos Of London. This means if 2 people search “Photos of my friends in London” on Facebook they will see different results.

You can search for friends, or friends of friends.

You can look up friends of friends with common interests, for example who enjoy walking, or skiing, or the same music and bands as you.

So you can look up friends of friends who work in a certain location, or for a certain company.

You can search for people, places and things.

This could be really useful in job search! You can search for friends of friends in companies or locations you are targeting, and then ask your friend in common to introduce you.

But what does this mean for your privacy?

Because potential employers will be able to search your Facebook information as well. Are you happy for everything on Facebook relating to you to be searchable by potential employers?

So you may need to familiarise yourself with Facebook Privacy settings, and check out your profile, tags, comments and likes. Change future post audience, restrict contact options, limit past posts.