Social Media
Consider the content you share — or don't share — and the people you connect and network with online. The more you think about it, the more it’s obvious that social media is a necessary part of your job search strategy. From Facebook to LinkedIn to Twitter and beyond...employers are going to search out and scrutinize your online presence. And either consider hiring you — or not.
The self you share online via social media is important and can help or hinder your career.
- For a review of techniques to polish up your social media profiles for potential employers, see Creating a Positive Online Presence.
See Building a Great Student Profile on LinkedIn for tips on how to showcase your experience and interests.
Some tips on managing your online presence
(From Glassdoor blog; link to full article.)
- Don't focus just on your resumé and cover letter. Make sure you also have an excellent online presence.
Your resumé and cover letter definitely serve as tools for landing an interview, but what’s going to seal the deal is your credibility as a professional. In addition to crafting the perfect resumé and cover letter, make sure you also have a stellar online presence. This means making sure your LinkedIn is current and you’re utilizing the best social media platforms for your career. This not only will help you build credibility as a job seeker, but also help you become discovered by employers who want to hire you. - What about Facebook?
If you’re worried about employers finding you on Facebook, chances are you’ve probably gone out of your way to make it private. If you’ve changed the spelling of your name on Facebook and applied every privacy setting to make it impossible to discover you, this could send a red flag to employers. As a job seeker, you need to be as transparent as possible on social media. Why? Because employers want to feel confident that you have nothing to hide from them. Do your best to be your true self online and you won’t have to worry about blocking employers from your Facebook. - Should you keep your personal and professional online presence separate?
You may have been told the safest way to utilize social media for your job search is to create separate accounts (such as two Twitter accounts). While this seems like sound advice, it could have a negative impact on your online presence. Employers want to see that you’re able to blend your personal and professional lives as one on social media. By blending the two, you’re able to show employers your experience as well as your personality online. . . . it’s important to be transparent as a job seeker because you want employers to see your genuine personality. If you’re worried about employers finding dirt on you, make sure you are only posting appropriate content online. This will save you a headache from having to manage two separate social media personalities for yourself as a job seeker.