PERCEIVING FACEBOOK AS A JOB SEARCHING TOOL AND MAINTAINING A CAREER-ORIENTED ONLINE IMAGE

Although Facebook is regarded as a common social network to connect everyone, it has not yet attracted much attention from researchers from the perspective of job searching. Based on the theories of job searching via social media networks, self-efficacy and social exchange, this study is conducted to investigate the impacts of social media self-efficacy and peer influence on perceiving Facebook as a job searching tool and maintaining a career-oriented online image by the youth in Vietnam. The empirical data collected from 317 respondents were examined using Covariance-based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) followed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The results show that social media self-efficacy and peer groups on Facebook motivate users' perception of Facebook as a job searching tool. In addition, this perception positively impacts the building and maintaining a career-oriented online image. Job seekers can use Facebook as a source of job search information, while organizations can use Facebook to review and recruit potential candidates.