Social media can make or break your job search. It’s easy to assume that its role is purely social but today many hiring managers and recruiters use social media to find and connect with prospective employees. A well- constructed social media profile could lead to a wide variety of excellent career or internship opportunities. But social media can also damage your chances. If your profiles are not professional and tailored to the opportunities you want, employers will bypass you immediately.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Public Profiles
Publicly accessible social media profiles should always appear professional. When you’re shortlisted as a candidate for interview, more often than not a potential employer will search for information about you online. If they discover unprofessional content on your profiles, your chances of an interview are definitely over.
Appropriate Content
Content on public profiles, whether photos, statuses or comments, should always be professional and appropriate. No potential employer or professional contact wants to see drunken escapades, crude language, negativity or recreational drug use so if you want to discuss or upload photos of any or all of these things, then make your profile private. Alternatively, leverage your public profiles by establishing yourself as an expert in your field. Post about your industry, interact with influencers and offer tips and advice to your professional peers.
Private Profiles
If you have content you want to share with friends that you don’t wish potential professional contacts to see, it’s importantyou make your private profiles well and truly private. Check your settings and make sure strangers can’t see anything besides your basic information. If you’re unsure how to go about it, there are often guides online which can help.Make sure at minimum your profile picture is appropriate and consider also changing the name attached to your profiles. With a different name, a potential employer is a lot less likely to stumble upon your private profile while searching.
Look for Tips
If you want to use your social media profiles for networking purposes, go to the help section for the social network you’re using or look up tips and guides online. They’ll help you leverage the site to your advantage and maximize your professional impact.