Students’ Job Search Behaviour in the Digital Labour Market: Evidence on Employer Contact Channels and LinkedIn Use

This study examines students’ job search behaviour in the context of an increasingly digital labour market, focusing on preferred employer contact channels and the use of professional networking platforms. Despite the growing importance of digital tools for recruitment and employability, it remains unclear how students actually engage with these channels. The study is based on quantitative data collected through a structured questionnaire administered in person to 209 university students in Slovakia. The analysis employs descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and binary logistic regression to examine differences in preferences and the determinants of platform use. The findings show that job portals remain the dominant employer contact channel, while social media platforms, including LinkedIn, are significantly less utilised. A key result is the identification of a gap between LinkedIn awareness, profile ownership, and its actual use for job search. The results further indicate that job portal preference differs by field of study, while employment status is not significantly associated with the analysed employer contact channels. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of behavioural engagement in digital job search and offers implications for universities, students, and employers.