Online Content Can Hurt You

The Internet can make it easier to look for a job, but it also creates some potential minefields for applicants. Instead of evaluating applicants based on their cover letters and résumés alone, recruiters are now narrowing their applicant pools by checking online content. If you use popular social media networks or maintain your own blog, you need to be careful about how employers perceive you.

There is a lot of room for error when you write social media posts on networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. In July 2015, Domain.ME surveyed 300 human resources professionals to find out about some of the mistakes candidates make with their online content. Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said they would eliminate a candidate for publishing risqué photos on social media. Another 66 percent said they would not hire candidates who said negative things about their current or former employers.

Employers are also looking for several other social media mistakes. Thirty percent of the HR professionals surveyed said they would eliminate a candidate from consideration if he or she posted controversial social or political opinions online. Sixty-five percent of those surveyed said they would not hire people who used foul language in their online content. Finally, 60 percent said they would not hire candidates who posted photos featuring alcohol consumption or partying.

Although online content can hurt you, it can also help you differentiate yourself from other applicants. If your qualifications are similar to those of competing applicants, you need to do something to stand out from the crowd. Publishing industry-related blog posts, commenting on job-related articles and submitting opinion pieces to local publications are all great ways to raise your status in any given industry.

If you decide to produce online content, you need to follow a few rules. First, avoid using foul language. You don't want to write anything to make employers wonder if they have to worry about you cursing in front of a client. If you frequently write social media posts, try to stay away from controversial topics. Use your preferred network's privacy settings to hide posts from people who are not on your friends list. Never say anything bad about your boss or your current employer.

The same rules apply to blogging: avoid foul language, stay away from controversial topics and refrain from badmouthing current or past employers. If you start a blog, use online content to demonstrate your expertise. Write about the issues affecting your industry in a thoughtful way. If you have trouble coming up with ideas, read industry-related publications and summarize current issues in your field.

Online content has the power to change people's perceptions of you. If you are searching for a job, you want those perceptions to be positive. Differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack by producing thoughtful content that is free from profanity, risqué photos or controversial statements.

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