Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Make sure online presence reinforces employment goals
Searching for a new job can be a difficult journey. While there is a bit of a thrill that accompanies the jobhunting experience, there is also the notso-nice experience of not getting the job. Positively dealing with rejection or the silent treatment from a prospective employer can be the worst if you haven’t prepared yourself for the inevitable.
To help prevent rejection, job seekers can take steps to eliminate roadblocks that could prevent them from moving forward. There is a strong possibility that you could carelessly and unknowingly become your own worst enemy during your job search.
It is sad that so many job seekers deal themselves the ultimate blow, putting an end to their consideration for a desirable position, simply by careless posts on social media.
Social-media grief happens every day across America as a result of job seekers simply not using common sense. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other forms of social media are hot spots for companies to learn more about you. That crucial online check is where a great in-person or telephone interview might be nullified because of personal information and impressions discovered online.
What you publish on social media can be used as a reason to hire another candidate instead of you. A company representative may consider your opinions, lifestyle, topics of interest or type of humor to be influences they would prefer to keep out of the workplace. You may think that hiring managers checking your social media during the employee-screening process is unfair, but it commonly happens. Many companies stalk the internet for personal insights about applicants. Your online reputation can often be more important than the references you have provided.
Review your social-media pages, and assume that everything there will be reviewed by a company who is considering hiring you. What your friends post on your pages might also be used as part of your evaluation process.
Think about it: Would you use swear words during an interview? How about talking with your prospective employer about how plowed you or a friend were at last night’s party? Perhaps the arguments you conduct online might seem appropriate on a social site, but do they paint a picture of a good team player, or do you come across on social media as a rabble-rouser?
If there is even the slightest chance that your social-media activities could work against you in a job-search setting, clean them up. Realize that you can’t control your online friends’ activity, and some companies explore your social-media contacts. Because of this, you might need to consider getting off Facebook or your favorite social websites for a time. Yes, you can survive if social abstinence is necessary. The symptoms of social-media withdrawal are not nearly as painful as the experience of losing a job opportunity you really want.
— Gary Moore is the president of Insight Edge. He has more than 30 years of business experience and specializes in the Personality Priority hiring process, sales and leadership training. Visit Moore’s website,
www.insightedge.com, or send email to garymoore@insightedge.com.