Is Your Social Media Profile Hurting Your Job Search?
Job hunting is so great in this digital era…everything is online: job postings, the application process, resume submission, information about a prospective employer…all with a few clicks of the mouse. Terrific, right? Yes. Definitely better than printing a resume and cover letter onto quality paper and dropping it at the post office. It is also great for hiring managers. For just as you are searching online about prospective employers, rest assured they are searching online for information about you.
In fact, 93% of recruiters
will review a candidate’s social profile before making a hiring decision. And what is portrayed online can affect your ability to be hired for a job: a whopping 55% of recruiters indicated they have reconsidered a candidate based on that social profile. With more than 1.39 billion people using Facebook each month
, another 347 million people on LinkedIn and Twitter’s users sending out 500 million Tweets per day, it is no wonder employers are using the Internet to research potential applicants and get a sneak peek at their personalities.
So what does your profile say about you?
Everything you share online — comments about your personal and business life, posts, blogs, photos and uploaded videos – are all fair game. So make sure this online version of you is one that you would like potential employers to meet.
• To start, Google yourself and set a Google Alert to find out when people post content about you on the Internet.
• Apply the Facebook privacy settings and limit who has access to your profile. When you post on your timeline, select which “friend” category can have access to that post. Consider selecting “close friends” among your Facebook network for sharing more personal information.
• Use common sense. Any posts with profanity, references to illegal drugs, inappropriate pictures and the like should be avoided along with any posts that can be considered offensive.
• Sharing political views can have a negative impact so it is best to keep political affiliations to yourself.
• Check your words. Grammar and correct spelling do matter!
• Most hiring managers use LinkedIn to search for candidates. Use this to your advantage! Be sure your profile matches your resume and is professional. Link to any published articles, update your professional network, and indicate any volunteer or charitable work. Recruiters view these endeavors favorably.
Last, but not least, think before you post. That social media platform is your stage and the world is your audience. Don’t share anything you don’t want the world to see. Once it’s out there, it could be there forever.