Social media & your career
Your social media accounts are as important as your CV when you’re job-hunting. Here’s how to use them to advance your career
MANY of us tap and swipe our way through social media apps several times a day, giving them as much thought as we do brushing our teeth. But if you’re using these networks only to share selfies and lament your bae’s poor choice of Valentine’s Day offerings, you’re missing out on a world of opportunities.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and similar platforms let us stay in touch with friends, frenemies and colleagues, but they’re also a goldmine of careeradvancing resources – if we use them properly.
Once upon a time, in the dark ages before smartphones, networking meant mingling with your peers, bosses and potential employers at business functions. You made sure your business card made its way into the right pockets and focused on that all-important first impression.
That’s still one way to get yourself noticed, but the global reach of social networks allows you to sell yourself long before you step into the lobby of your new employer’s building. Here’s how to make social networks work for you. BE A PRO Yes, it’s your own Facebook/Insta/Twitter/Snapchat account. And, yes, you can post whatever you like on it. But you wouldn’t impress your boss by showing up at work dressed to party, would you?
In the same way you should keep your online profile clean, sober and professional, advises Brenda Bensted-Smith, CEO of Ad Talent. “Future employers will definitely check [your online] profiles,” she says.
Go through your posts and remove pictures or posts you wouldn’t want a future employer to see. If you’re not sure, ask yourself, “Would Mom approve of this picture/statement?” No? Delete. GO PUBLIC Recruiters and potential employers use social media to source suitable candidates and to check them out before meeting them, says Lorna O’Brien of O’Brien Recruitment, who’s been recruiting for 21 years.
“The first thing you need to do is log out of all your accounts and Google yourself to see what others will find,” O’Brien says.
For most of us there’s probably a fair bit of info out there, from pics to tweets, and it wouldn’t be hard for future potential bosses to find stuff you’d prefer to keep private or forgot you’d ever posted.
“Potential employers aren’t likely to be impressed if they discover pics of applicants inappropriately clad or drinking and partying every day of the week,” says Tamara Wolpert, general manager of Viv Gordon Placements, a recruitment agency specialising in media.
All the experts we spoke to say it’s almost guaranteed that recruiters and employers will look at candidates’ social media profiles, so keep these at least partially publicly accessible.
If you have to keep it private, accept “follow” requests – but only if your profile is recruiter-friendly and you know the person you’re accepting the request from is legit. BE YOURSELF Maintain a mix of content on your pages – write about your line of work, share links to articles about your industry, and be sure to include personal content to
show who you are outside the workplace. Just remember the Mom rule. BEWARE . . . We’ve all heard stories about people who’ve moaned about their bosses on Facebook and landed in hot water for it. And those peeps who’ve called in sick and then posted Insta pics of the night before the hangover.
Basically, you should never rant online, no matter how frustrated you are with your current job or boss. “Don’t post disparaging remarks, regardless of your reasons for leaving,” Bensted-Smith says.
Remember, once something is online it’s out there forever – no matter how private your settings are. And, as they say in the cop shows, it can and will be used against you. PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE If you’re hunting for a new job, or breaking out on your own, let people in your networks know you’re on the lookout for new opportunities.
But, Wolpert says, it’s not advisable to advertise your availability unless your employer knows you intend to leave – you don’t want to burn bridges.
DO
Join relevant industry groups Keep your profiles professional Ensure your LinkedIn profile is up to date and in sync with your CV
Ensure work-related profiles, especially LinkedIn and Twitter, give as much work info about you as possible
Make sure your LinkedIn and Twitter profile pics are professional
Clean up your profiles, delete any dodgy photos and untag yourself where necessary
Learn how to use social media platforms’ privacy settings
Be diplomatic in all your updates and interactions Follow leaders in your field and join groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that will connect you to people who might be interested in your skills set
DON’T
Post inappropriate photographs of yourself in compromising situations
Bad-mouth your current or previous employers/spouse/partner/ relatives or anyone else Use bad language Post controversial/offensive/ racist opinions
Be negative or swear – recruiters don’t check you out online to see what you look like, they’re concerned about how you sound
Appear desperate – it’s okay to let people in your network know you’re exploring the market for a new opportunity but it’s not okay to plead with people to help you Get involved in discussions on topics such as religion or politics