When you’re live-tweeting the NCAA basketball tournament, posting status updates all weekend, or tagging yourself in friends’ photos, the last thing on your mind is your job search, but it should always be at the forefront. Your social media presence is increasingly important to your chances for getting hired, as employers turn more and more to Facebook, Twitter and Google to learn more about candidates. What you post – and when – makes a huge impression on employers. Don’t let your social life online keep you from getting hired.
Keep a Low Profile
Up all night posting to Tumblr? Tweet and retweet without a second thought? If you’re seeking employment, rethink your personal social media strategy. Employers will almost always do a quick Google search of candidates, and if it looks like you spend more time retweeting off-color jokes and posting party selfies to Facebook, they’ll wonder if you’ve got the time and energy left over to dedicate to a job. And those off-color jokes? Those might cost you an interview. Tone down your social media presence if you’re serious about getting a job.
Know Privacy Settings – and Use Them
There’s no such thing as complete privacy or security on the internet, but if much of your life is archived online, do your best to keep prying eyes away from your less-than-flattering posts and pictures. Know the privacy settings for each social media account you maintain, and turn them up to eleven. To be safer still, think hard before you hit post or send – does the world really need to see you doing Jell-O shots or getting a tattoo?
Cultivate Employers
If you want a social media presence that attracts rather than repels employers, let them see what you can do for them in your posts. Retweet the hot names in your field. Create a LinkedIn profile that connects you to former colleagues and school friends. Post pictures or news stories that are relevant to your line of work. Employers will see someone with a passion for the industry, and you’ll learn a few new things to share in that upcoming interview!
Still don’t know how to manage your social life and your job search? Let Staffing Partners’ employment experts help. From your LinkedIn profile to your interview, we’re with you every step of the way to a temp or temp-to-hire job in your field!
