LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other social networks have completely changed the hiring process. Applicants now have an easier time connecting with hiring managers and learning about job opportunities, and hiring managers use social media to vet candidates and avoid making bad hiring decisions. If you are searching for a new job, make sure you clean up your profiles and improve your social media presence before you send out any applications.
When you submit an application for employment, the hiring manager is probably going to check your social media profiles to make sure the qualifications in your resume match the qualifications you have posted online. Before you apply for a job, go through all of your profiles and make sure there's nothing in them to raise red flags. For example, if your resume says you were at a job for three years, and your LinkedIn profile says you only had that job for two years, you need to update your profile with the correct information.
Employers also want to see that you are passionate about your current job or your industry. If you use social media networks regularly, make sure you comment on industry news or share articles related to your job. If you really want to demonstrate your passion for a topic, write your own blog posts and share them via LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. If you start blogging, proofread each post carefully, or this tactic might backfire on you. Avoid using profanity or inappropriate pictures in your posts, even if you are writing about a controversial topic.
Your social media activity helps potential employers determine if you are really interested in working for their companies, or if you are just in search of any job that pays a decent salary. If you use social networks, make sure you follow potential employers. Better yet, respond to some of the posts made by recruiters or other internal stakeholders. Even if you don't land a job, you might make some valuable contacts.
Fair or not, employers also use social media to assess your professionalism. Before you send out applications, update your profile photo and remove any content that is even slightly inflammatory. Risque photos have no place on your social media accounts if you are trying to find a job. No one wants to work with someone who is negative all the time, so try to maintain an upbeat tone in all of your posts. It's okay to disagree with someone on a topic, but you must refrain from cursing and insulting other people.
Using social media is a great way to stay in touch with loved ones and have a little fun at the end of the workday, but what you post can come back to haunt you in your job search. Because employers often check the social media profiles of job applicants, take time to clean up your profile and make sure the content gives hiring managers a positive impression of your personality and skills.
Photo courtesy of phanlop88 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!