Social media is often thought of as a platform for personal use and not a tool
to utilize on a professional level. However, there are several reasons why
social media is important in any job search and for career progression.
Social media is being used on a daily basis to identify, recruit, and verify
potential candidates. It’s estimated that over 90 percent of recruiters use
social media to screen applicants. In fact, a majority of hiring managers
begin looking at social media channels as soon as they receive an
application. With such a presence in the virtual world, that’s why social
media is important—it can make or break a job search.
Most recruiters today will go through your social media profiles as part of
the recruitment process. The aim of doing this is to learn more about you and
gain insights about you that they cannot glean from your CV.
To do this, they don’t restrict themselves to LinkedIn, since they already know that it is automatic for you to carry yourself in a professional manner on the platform. Instead, they also look at your profiles in platforms that are more socially geared, such as Facebook and Twitter.
For anyone pondering the importance of social media in a job search, consider
the following reasons why social media is important in ANY job
search—including yours.
How Social Media Can Help You In Your Job Search
Your choice of social media platforms should be determined by your industry.
Are there some social platforms that work best for your line of work?
For instance, if you are a designer, you might need an Instagram or
Pinterest account to showcase your work. Alternatively, you can use YouTube
to showcase your talent or expertise.
You should also use your social profiles as platforms to show off your work
and expertise. Upload samples of your work on your social profiles and share
them with your connections or post links to your presentations or online
portfolio. You can also show your expertise by sharing your well researched
thoughts and opinions about trends and happenings within your industry.
And while I’m all for being yourself and showing your unique kick-ass
personality, it should also be done in a professional manner.
Recruiters and hiring managers scope you out on social media to get a feel for
who you are and to see if you’d be a great fit with the company culture. Give
them a reason to hire you with your online footprint. Don’t give them a reason
to shake their head and delete your CV.
Manage your Reputation
Clean up your social media accounts. Your social media pages are probably
going to be on the list of what shows up when you search for yourself. Be
sure that all your posts are fit for the public to see. If not, clean them
up and adjust your privacy settings.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure your online presence paints
the picture of a professional.
70% of employers are relying on social media as a tool for screening
prospects, with 54% rejecting candidates because of something they found
on the candidate’s social media.
This shows that having an online presence that does not look professional
can hurt your chances of getting hired. Therefore, the first thing you
need to do is to clean up your social profiles. To know what information
prospective employers can see about you, open an incognito tab on your
browser and Google your name.
What comes up?
Will prospective employers like what they see?
If there is anything that can hurt your chances of getting hired, get
rid of it. This includes things like the drunk photos from your college
parties and stupid status updates.
When you share things online, feel free to be yourself but be the best version
of yourself. Watch your language, keep images PG-friendly, and never, ever,
ever bad mouth current or former companies or coworkers you’ve worked with.
