Social media tips for job seekers

THESE days social media is not just a platform to share your favourite quotes, cake recipes, or pictures of your pets.

If you are among those who are looking for work, social media can be a powerful tool to expand your job search, especially in strengthening your network and researching potential companies.

Here are some useful tips to boost your online presence for your job search.

Use professional photos

For hiring managers, your profile photo on social media determines their first impression of you. Needless to say, an unprofessional photo can reflect poorly on your application for your new job.

Therefore, it is important to choose a picture that portrays you in the most positive and professional light.

Join groups that reflect your interest

To improve your knowledge and demonstrate your passion in your area of interest, join relevant social media groups.

There, you can engage and start conversations with people that share the same interests, as well as connect with those they are linked with online.

By connecting professionally through these groups, you will be able to expand your network which might comprise potential employers, particularly when your interest is related to the job your are seeking.

Be consistent Inconsistencies found in your social media profiles and your resume can be a huge dealbreaker in your job application.

Depending on the position you are applying for or the industry you intend to work in, your potential employer might be checking your social media accounts before deciding to hire you.

Therefore, make sure that skills, experience, and other relevant information that you highlight for your job search match your online profiles and your resume.

Be mindful

In the process of boosting your online presence, you might add industry contacts as part of your professional network at some point.

Therefore, you need to be careful of the things you have said or want to say online to better manage your social media presence and to give off a good impression among hiring managers.

Regardless of whether your online posts are private or not, it is safer to avoid putting anything that might be easily misinterpreted or deemed questionable, given that there is a thin line between being funny and being completely inappropriate.

This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! — an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (Azam) Sarawak — to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.