Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
How to leverage social media in your job search
Social media has become a huge part of the recruitment and hiring process, especially with the type of savvy organizations you probably want to join. According to a recent report t a large percentage of potential employers search social media sites. Social media is incredibly valuable when finding a job. Job seekers are securing positions via these platforms.
Social media and all aspects of your online outreach can be especially important, since the vast majority of job openings are never posted. Although the estimates vary, many experts report that somewhere between 70 and 80 percent of jobs are never listed, with the positions going to referrals, in-house transfers and networking. To have the best chance at the ideal position, you want to use social media and online tools to both reach out and keep yourself discoverable.
How to Maximize Your Social Media Presence
Today potential employers are checking your online profile before moving forward with an offer. Employers who scan social media profiles report they have found content that has caused them not to hire a candidate.
So what can you do if you either have a poor or weak presence on social media? Here are five ideas to turn a negative into a positive.
1. Build a solid profile. Your profile can do as much to support (or harm) your candidacy as your resume. Make sure your profile is error-free and current.
2. Check your google search results. Employers may enter your name and city in the search bar and read what comes up about you.
3. Delete any posts that you don’t want potential employers to see. These posts include using profanity, flame throwing anyone, dressed revealingly or anything inappropriate. Drinking or drug use will not impress a future employer.
4. Apply new posts. Employers and recruiting agencies may only peruse the last dozen or so of your social media postings. Make sure these show you at your best, from both a personal and professional perspective.
5. If in doubt. Check how employers will perceive your content, set your accounts to private to keep non-followers from viewing your posts. Some of these ideas may seem restrictive and you may feel that they don’t let you be your “true self”. But honestly, don’t we all dress a little nicer and mind our manners more when we are interviewing, and then relax these standards over time.