Are Your Social Media Posting Killing Your Job Chances?

Whether you use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest, what you put online could impact your chance of landing an interview or job. In a late 2014 Jobvite survey, more than half of participants said information found on social media altered how they perceived candidates, often in a negative way. A CareerBuilder survey in mid-2014 indicated that 43 percent of companies use social networking sites to help vet job candidates.

Nixing your social media accounts completely isn't the way to go when preparing for a job search. A complete lack of social network presence can create the wrong impression. You might appear to be hiding something or unable to use modern technology – things employers frown upon. The absence of a LinkedIn page might even make you look lazy; if every other candidate took time to create a personalized profile where recruiters can find additional information, potential employers may wonder why you didn't.

Instead of deleting your social media accounts, consider cleaning them up before a job search. Even more effective is not posting certain things to your accounts at all. According to the Jobvite survey, the number one thing that turns recruiters and hiring managers off is seeing references to illicit drugs on social media. While a careful joke that mentions drugs in general might not do any damage, images or posts indicating that you have done or currently do drugs are definitely a bad idea. Even joking about drug use is probably something to shy away from when searching for employment.

Other things participants in the Jobvite survey said could turn off hiring managers and recruiters included drunken pictures or a lot of talk about drinking, sexual or obscene posts and poor grammar. The survey results indicated that sloppy writing, especially in professional profiles on LinkedIn, were even worse than occasional profanity on social media. Companies want employees with strong communication skills, regardless of the job type, and poor communication on your social pages doesn't inspire hiring managers.

In another survey, employers said they passed on applicants, even after a seemingly successful interview, because of information discovered in social networking reviews. In addition to items called out in the Jobvite survey, hiring managers say that they are less likely to hire people who talk in a derogatory way about co-workers or former employers. Comments and posts that discriminate on religion, race or gender are also turn-offs for employers, as is information on your pages that disproves any claims you made about job experience or skills.

You don't have to keep it all G-rated on your personal pages, but do avoid some of the biggest turn-offs, such as illegal drugs. Keep tabs on the privacy settings and policies for all your social media accounts, and don't be afraid to politely request that other people remove degrading or harmful posts or pictures about you.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net