Social Media Do’s And Don’ts During a Job Search

Social media is increasingly becoming a common and effective platform that aids job search.

It is also important to note that there are social media do’s and don’ts during a job search.

Why?

Social media can either make or break your chances of getting that dream job you so wished to get.

Read through to get the all-important information about social media do’s and don’ts during a job search. 

Do’s And Don’ts During A Job Search

Here is a detailed list of social media do’s and don’ts during a job search:

Post As If Everything Can Be Seen By Everyone

During your job search on social media, your personal profile is an extension of your public profile. If you don’t want a boss, a friend, or a future employer to see a post, don’t take the risk. Keep your online identity positive rather than provocative.

Even if your social media account is set to private and you’re sure your Facebook security settings prevent unwanted from viewing your posts, it’s better to be safe than sorry. In today’s world, your online self is an extension of your offline self. 

Read also: How To Kickstart Your Social Media Campaign

Be Consistent

It’s fine if you rework your job descriptions. Targeting your resume is a good thing when applying for a job. 

What’s not okay is if your job titles, companies, and dates don’t jive. That’s a red flag for prospective employers.

Set Your Account Privacy

Take some time to review what strangers, as well as friends of friends, can see.

You may think you’re only sharing those photos from last night’s very late party with your Facebook connections, but often, people you don’t know can see the photos that you’re tagged in or read your posts. 

Advanced Networking

Be engaged and proactive in your communications. By building a network in advance, you won’t have to scramble if you unexpectedly lose your job or decide it’s time to move on.

Build your network well in advance of when you need it. Make connections in your industry and career field. Follow career experts.

Talk to your contacts on Twitter or other networking sites. Join Groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, then post and join the discussion. 

Read also: Best Social Media Sites For Job Searching

Give To Get

Take some time every day to reach out to your connections. Write a recommendation on LinkedIn, offer to introduce them to another connection, and share an article or news with them.

Giving to get really does work — your connections are more likely to return the favor when you’ve offered to help them.

In a nutshell, give to get. Networking works both ways — the more you are willing to help someone else, the more likely they will be to help you. 

Create An Online Presence

Take the time to ensure that all your work-related social pages are updated and ready to be reviewed prior to starting a hunt.

When you’re looking for a job or positioning yourself for career growth, it’s important to have an online presence to showcase your skills and experience.

Your online social media pages will also help you connect with contacts who can expedite your job search and assist you with moving up the career ladder. 

Choose Who You Connect With

Before you ask someone to connect, consider what you have in common. That common denominator, regardless of what it is, is what’s going to help with your job search.

There is a school of thought that says you should connect with everyone when you’re using social media. However, quality is more important than quantity when it comes to connecting. 

Guard Your Reputation

See what’s out there online when you Google your own name. You might find embarrassing or inappropriate things you forgot you posted back in high school or pictures that friends posted without your knowledge. Find those things before an employer does and delete them.

It’s quite easy for employers to find the information you may have preferred to keep private. Much of it can be found by Googling your name. 

Be aware of what shows up, and if any photos or posts could handicap your job search, change your profile settings or delete the individual posts.

Read also: How To Navigate The Job Market Using Social Media

Bragging Online Is Just As Bad As Bragging In Person 

If your pages become overwhelmingly self-promotional, they become a deterrent. The beauty of social media is that it allows you to connect with others, so involve your audience.

If they feel included in what you say, they’ll actually want to see what you post. Additionally, if your posting is mechanical, scripted, or unnatural, it may seem like you exhibit those undesirable traits in real life. 

Do not let your positive personality traits be covered by impersonal and unrealistic social media 

Tweet Cautiously

Be really careful what you tweet. You don’t know who might read it. Hiring managers and bosses are using Twitter, too. 

Tweets show up in Google search and you don’t want to lose your job because you didn’t think before you tweeted, even if you hate it.

Words and photos can easily be misconstrued out of context, so make sure to analyze them before posting.

Vigorously posting about politics, social issues, or personal issues may cause profile viewers to form initial judgments, misguided or not. 

Avoid Online Job Search While On Duty

Many people job search for work but given the way companies monitor employees, it’s not wise to use your work computer or email account for job searching. Or, if you do, be really careful how you do it.

The temptation, of course, when you’re job searching is to spend time looking at job postings, perhaps uploading your resume to apply, talking to contacts, or posting about the trials and tribulations of your job search on a Facebook page. If you were to do that, you certainly wouldn’t be the first person to do so. 

Avoid Getting Fired

Anything you post may be read by your employer or co-workers.

Employers check out candidates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. And, it’s pretty routine to connect with colleagues on social media sites, too. 

If you share company business or post inappropriate content, you could get in trouble with your current manager, and it could even cost you your job, especially if you post on social media while at work. 

It’s not just your current employer — hiring managers often screen candidates’ social media, and will avoid interviewing or hiring candidates who post inappropriately. 

Read also: Age Discrimination – Workplace Fairness

Maximize The Use Of LinkedIn

Make sure to mention all past work experience, emphasize your skills, and keep your page looking professional.

Connect to as many Groups as you deem appropriate. Post positively and reflectively, making sure your presence on the site is demonstrative of who you are.

Most importantly, use the networking ability of the site to make real, interpersonal relationships with those you connect with.

LinkedIn is arguably the most important site for networking and recruiting in the modern business world. The site is used by people of varying employment levels, including everything from recent grads to big business founders, so make sure your profile stays up to date. 

DON’T let your LinkedIn detract from who you are.

Don’t lie or embellish your profile. Make sure not to over-post or spam your connections. Never criticize or negatively post in Groups. Don’t estrange connections by being generic and impersonal. 

While sites like LinkedIn are meant to showcase your best qualities, it is easy to turn people off by simply using the site poorly.

People quickly will judge you based on your online profile, so try to follow online etiquette guidelines and avoid showing your weaknesses

Conclusion

It is important to implement the suggested technique about social Media Do’s and Don’ts During a Job Search.

Never allow carelessness like forgetting to delete a high school post to ruin your chances of landing your dream job.