Today, employers expect to find information about you online, and the truth is that the information they find can either spiral you to the top of the list or place you at the bottom. It’s important you know that any public profile you have is fair game, meaning employers can use it to determine whether a candidate is the right fit for the company.
Gumtree, in a recent infographic on social media, suggest that using social media platform, blogs, websites and online portfolios can help you get a better job. And if done right, they’re right. An online presence can improve your job opportunities greatly. However, this web presence can also do you more harm than good, especially when you don’t pay careful attention to what you put on these platforms. What you do on auction websites, classified sites, and social media sites, can affect you massively.
So what is that turns a company away from you?
The following are the top social media platform mistakes made by people looking for employment positions. These are faux pas that anyone can commit, but you want to be extremely aware of them, especially when you are looking for a new job.
Improper Online Photos
Sure, everyone posts photos to their social media website. And there is nothing wrong with that. However, you don’t want to post those improper photographs. Forget about posting those pictures of your brother’s bachelor party, the night you got drunk, those wild photos with your boyfriend. Those are the pictures you don’t want a future employer to see. In fact, a good rule of thumb is to only post photographs that you wouldn’t mind showing to a total stranger. Remember these pictures are the first impression people get of you, especially when these people don’t really know you in person.
Too Much Criticism
Another total turn off to companies is the criticizing of past employers, or fellow employees. They tend to frown on discriminatory comments that relate to gender, religion and race as well.
How to Clean it Up?
This is especially important when you are actively looking for a job, but all professionals should periodically clean up their social media profiles. Change your privacy settings so that only your friends and family can see your posts.
Use your Social Presence for the Benefit of Others
Your activity on the social network sites can be a very positive influence for everyone. Post comments, accomplishments and posts that are motivational, uplifting and present your information in a positive light. About 30% percent of all employers who research candidates on social media platforms say they find content that made them more likely to hire that particular candidate. Many employers have sayed they’ve hired someone based on their social networking profile because it offered them an insight into the values of the job seeker.
Final Thought
You want to use your social media platform as an opportunity to show off your values, your skills, and your uniqueness. You want to demonstrate that you are the type of person an employer wants to hire.
admin