Employers aren’t just glancing through your Resume, reading your well-written cover letter and admiring your sharp appeal at the interview. They are also checking out your popular social media sites.
About 43 percent of employers use social media networking sites when researching job candidates, according to U.S. Harris Poll survey on behalf of CareerBuilder. 45 percent of employers have reported that they even take the time to Google their potential candidates. Reports also show that close to 70 percent of employers have tossed out applications because of questionable content posted on social media sites. This could vary from provocative & inappropriate photographs, bad grammar & multiple spelling mistakes, disheartening language about previous job or a display of poor communications skills.
With all that being said, you really have to micromanage what you’re sharing to the online community. Of course, no one expects you to be a complete robot, and there are some ways in which you can clean up your act.
- Employers love to see that you have some type of personality online. Does your personality match that of the company’s? The employer wants to know that you would fit in with their company culture.
- Your social media presence is mutually exclusive to your background and qualifications for the job. Employers are looking for proof that your writing or communication skills are valid. Yeah, they can receive this verification on your cover letter or at the interview but those items are of course modified. Your social media sites just gives them more information to rely on.
- Social media offers a platform to show your creativity. Employers like to see that you stand out amongst the hundreds, or thousands of applications they are receiving.
- Having a professional image online is always the way to go. You’re in total control of how you let other people see you online. Again, don’t be a robot but you also want to run an account that doesn’t make you look bad.
- Having a large following could come in handy. Some employers are impressed to know that a potential candidate has a nice following rate. Especially if you’re considering a career in social media, it helps to know you already have an established audience.
Social media could be the reason you do or don’t get that job you’re after. If you ever guessed why someone hasn’t called you back, we can come to the conclusion it had to do with something you did on online.
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Moore Digital 