Find out how you can make your social media profiles sing your praises
Can Social Media Affect Your Job Opportunities?
The rise of Social Media has been incredible; it provides a great social platform to express yourself, stay in contact with both close and distant friends, and it offers an opportunity to engage with people around the world. Social Media has also become integral to most businesses and brands globally, whilst some of the most prominent and current celebrity personalities began their careers on YouTube, Facebook and Snapchat.
However, how you use and share your content on social media can directly impact your employability. According to ‘CareerBuilder’s annual social media recruitment survey’, 60% of employers use social networking sites to review potential candidates.
It’s important to note that the majority of hiring managers aren’t intentionally looking for negatives and are simply “looking for information that supports their qualifications for the job”. This is where you can use your social media platforms to help boost your chances.
The opposite is also true though - 49% of employers stated they found information on social networks that has directly caused them not to hire a candidate.
Here are a few things you can easily do to boost your chances of landing that job:
Set Certain Photos to Private
If you have some photos that you wouldn’t want a future employer to see you can alter the settings so that only a select group of friends can view the content, do not make them available publicly. Or, you could simply delete those photos!
Delete or Edit Posts
46% of employers stated that offensive language was the main reason they were discouraged to hire someone when reviewing social media sites. Make sure you delete or edit any posts that express offensive language.
Use It To Your Advantage
As we said, employers are not intentionally looking to catch people out; they want to see whether you are a good fit for their company. 32% of employers found information that caused them to hire a candidate. Highlighting things on your social media profiles such as your school and job background, posting positive outlooks, great spelling and grammar, showcasing a range of interests and portraying yourself as a well-rounded personality with good communication skills. So use your social media profiles to highlight all you wonderful, positive traits!
Create a LinkedIn Account
Creating a LinkedIn account is a great way to use Social Media positively when it comes to applying for jobs and building your career. You can add your CV, gain professional contacts, get endorsements and build your professional profile. We highly recommend jumping on board!
So remember...
A great rule of thumb is – “would I want my Granny to see this?!” If the answer is no, then hide or delete that content.
With Social Media becoming central to everyone’s day-to-day lives, both personally and within the workplace, updating your profiles in order to represent the best, most employable you is more vital than ever!
Helpful Tips
We want you to be successful and happy. It’s what makes us tick, and it’s what makes us Leaders in Learning. If you want some additional helpful tips and pointers, to make you stand out from the crowd, please read some of our other articles on:
Top tips for being an apprentice
Five Steps To An Apprenticeship
Top 5 Tips To Ace Your Job Interview
How To Get The Job YOU Want – Make Your CV Stand Out
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