Digital Tarmacking”: Understanding LinkedIn and Other Social Networking Platforms as Digital Spaces for Job Hunting

• In Event: 50220 - Section on Organizations, Occupations, and Work Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 8: Hiring and Job Searches

Abstract

One area in which sociologists have begun studying how technology is changing human interactions is the ‘job-hunting’ sphere. However, the literature lacks examples of how this process works in a context with limited access to digital tools. Kenya presents a compelling case through which to address these gaps because the number of educated and highly skilled young people outpaces the number of opportunities of the same caliber. The competition for sustainable employment is getting steeper. Young people are beginning to look for jobs not just in Kenya but also around the world. As a result, young people must resort to digital platforms and social media to present themselves as employable. Therefore, this chapter investigates the following questions: 1) Why have young Kenyan people shifted to digital platforms to find jobs? 2) Do their profile presentation and job-hunting strategy differ according to the platform? 3) Do networks and social/cultural capital matter in digital job hunting? This paper illustrates the transition to online/digital networks for finding jobs and the different strategies young people employ depending on the site. Second, this paper shows how young people present themselves as employable in both Kenyan and global tech-enabled labor markets. Third, this chapter emphasizes that in-person networks and social and cultural capital still matter when searching for online jobs. It highlights the training and exposure needed to utilize digital spaces successfully.

Author

• Shaquilla Harrigan, University of Pennsylvania