Why the Things You Do on Social Media Could Cost You a Job:
An rising number of recruiters use social media as a screening tool for potential hires every day.
They can discover a lot about a candidate’s background and personality through this, which can be quite beneficial. What reveals more about your personality, interests, and pastimes than the accounts you use for each of them? Finding out what a candidate has accomplished on a single sheet of paper is not always easy for a recruiter to comprehend. This explains the surge in use of social media as an HR tool during the past ten years.
As helpful as social media can be throughout this process, it can also play a significant role in some people’s failure to get the job for which they are applying. The main problem with this, which a lot of applicants overlook, is that the recruiter will be able to see everything they have ever shared on these accounts. Employers frequently locate information on these accounts that leads them to select a different applicant. You should get ahead of the problem by clearing your digital clutter and preventing future problems because it’s likely to follow you for the rest of your life.
What Do Employers Seek?
There are a few things that recruiters will be looking for when they peruse your social media pages. You can obtain an advantage by being aware of what they’ll be searching for and which sections of your profiles might require some cleanup.
Bio: What is said about you in your bio? The majority of recruiters will review this to see how you characterize yourself. Ensure that the information you have provided in interviews and on your CV is reflected in the biographies on each of your profiles. Here’s where you may showcase your “personal brand.” Give them a taste of your personality, but be truthful. For instance, it could raise suspicions if you claim to be actively looking for work but your bio states that you are “happy employed at XYZ Company.”
Emails and usernames: Do you use formal email addresses and usernames? This might not be the best option if you are still using the same 12 year old email address that you created.
Photos: Although they may appear innocuous, photos are frequently the main factor used to reject applicants for employment. It’s true what they say—”a picture is worth a thousand words.” Your uploaded images ought to showcase your enjoyable activities—parties excluded. Images depicting drugs or alcohol are strictly prohibited. Steer clear of them at all costs. Even though your best friend uploaded a photo of you holding a beer, it might not necessarily look appetizing to a recruiter.
Likes/Shares: Although this one could come as a surprise to some, the stuff you like and share on your accounts says a lot about the kind of person you are. Even if you could believe that “liking” a contentious post is harmless, this behavior is frequently nonetheless visible.
Posts: This also applies to the content you independently create and share on your account. Speaking incoherently about your annoying neighbor or how hungover you are on a Monday doesn’t look good in the eyes of the public.
Following-You should also avoid following accounts or people who are in any manner contentious or spammy. Avoid following several ghost accounts or accounts with undesirable themes.
Grammar and spelling: This one is particularly crucial if you plan to apply for a job that requires writing. A few errors here and there are clearly acceptable. Since we are all human, occasional spelling and punctuation errors are inevitable. An employer might be forced to reevaluate whether you would make the same mistakes in the workplace, though, if you are prone to making blunders or if it is difficult for others to understand the jargon you use.
Activity: Many candidates mistakenly believe that the best approach to stay out of trouble is to use their social media accounts in no way at all. While in some ways this is true, some recruiters get anxious when they don’t use social media at all.
Present Workers Exercise Caution
It’s crucial to understand that the HR department does not exclude current employees from social media screenings. Actually, a lot of present workers at businesses all around the world have lost their jobs because of something they wrote online. Anything that is unsuitable, disparaging of the organization, or contentious may raise serious red flags and result in your termination. It’s crucial to develop good social media habits before landing a job and continuing afterward.
Making fun of an employee or sharing a message online expressing your distaste for your employer will undoubtedly get you a quick trip to the boss’ office and probably even termination. You should generally not share anything if you are unsure if it is truly worthwhile, especially if doing so would cost you money or cause someone else to feel harmed. Make sure you are not in any way breaking the social media policy of your firm by reviewing it.
Organizing Your Profiles
You’re probably thinking about the content that is already on your accounts by this point. Perhaps it’s the university snapshot in which your friend included you, or perhaps it’s the contentious post you published some time ago. This is the time to make the change if you have any doubts. particularly if you’re looking for work right now. Regretfully, not everything on the Internet can be erased forever. Generally, one can still locate content that was previously accessible on the internet. Fortunately for you, there are a few things you can do to improve your online image.
- Eliminate Dangerous Content: Examine all of your social media profiles. Examine anything you have on there with great care. Consider going back six months to a year for content, and possibly longer for images. Delete anything that jumps out or appears to be a warning sign. Request that a friend or family member take down the post if they posted it. You might occasionally have to report the content so that the site administrators can remove it.
- Modify Usernames: This one is rather easy. Make your usernames more formal and straightforward by changing them. Make a new email address that will only be used for formal contact if you don’t already have one.
- Do a Self-Search with a Search Engine Look up your name using several methods. Try adding in your location, employment or school affiliations, and alternate use of your middle name. This will provide you with a clear idea of what an actual search for your name would turn up. Take a look around and confirm that each outcome meets your needs.
- Fight Discrepancies: Get in touch with the site administrator if you come across any inaccurate information in a search result. Give them the accurate information or request that they remove the existing information.
- Modify Your Privacy Settings: It’s acceptable if you don’t want anyone to see your profile at all. To change viewing from public to private or friends only, go into your account settings. In this manner, you will simply get a simple profile summary when you appear in a result. Basically, it will just display your profile photo and bio. It’s a fantastic method to maintain the privacy of your information while yet demonstrating your usage.
Establishing a Business Identity
Creating more good content is a more crucial step than just attempting to hide your bad stuff. Using internet platforms to develop your own brand is an excellent approach to showcase your skills. It might also make you stand out from the competition while applying for jobs.
- Linked-In: When utilized appropriately, this well-known social media site can be quite helpful for job seekers. Your profile need to function as an online résumé in essence. Additionally, if you have abilities that you excel in, your contacts can endorse you for them; these endorsements act as virtual recommendations from people who are eager to speak for you. Making connections with people in the relevant field is a terrific approach to learn about new prospects and grow your network.
- Online Portfolio: Why not create an online portfolio if you are very talented in a certain field, such as writing, art, or photography? In addition to showcasing your work for interested family and friends, employers find it admirable when candidates demonstrate this kind of initiative.
- Author Pages: If you have experience working as a freelancer, connect with websites that are relevant to your field and that create author pages. They will showcase your work and put you in touch with other industry professionals that you might find interesting.