Social Media And Your Job Search
Ever wondered about the impact of your social media activity on your career?
Are there things you should do?
Are there things you shouldn't do?
Today on the Your Pursuit Of Happiness podcast, Laura and Paul walk you through the social media minefield.
But first . . .
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Podcast Discussion
Ok, let's get into the discussion . . .
Can Social Media Affect Your Job Search Prospects?
Today we're going to discuss social media and your job search. How can social media affect your job search prospects?
Social media can affect your job search prospects because employers will look at your social media, on your online profile essentially, and that can create a preconceived idea of who you are and what you're going to be like as a person.
We're not here to review the legalities behind it but it is open-source information, so people need to be really aware that whatever they're putting out in their Facebook, their Instagram, their Twitter, potential employers can access that information.
Employers Using Information From Social Media
Let's look at two real-life examples . . .
One was a client was saying that they'd rearranged an interview a couple of times with a candidate, and didn't show up for the third interview on a Monday morning, which was a little bit suspicious. So they went on and did a quick Google search and found this person's social media account - the picture was fairly incriminating. The tagline on their picture was something along the lines of “Sunday sesh!”
Not showing up for a 9 o'clock interview on a Monday, after a Sunday ‘sesh’ is probably not the best idea.
The employer found that online and clearly that was the end of the road for that person.
Another example, more around someone who was in a company at the time and was making negative comments on social media about the company.
That person was let go.
Again, we don’t advise on the legal side, but something to be really careful of and mindful of when posting on social media.
What Do Employers Like To See On Social Media?
We need to distinguish between social media in general and LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is professional media, and it clearly should be treated in a similar way, but it is more of a professional forum.
Employers aren’t necessarily looking at social media for positives although, of course, there could be positives certainly taken from it.
A lot of businesses that we work with now are very involved in things like CSR, corporate social responsibility.
Employers want to see well-rounded people coming in - people who aren't just obsessed with work who have a life outside of work. People with hobbies and interests and so on.
If you do volunteer work or if you're into any charity work or if you have any particular hobbies, things like that are quite good to share.
It's all about building up a profile of a potential employee.
Think about it yourself. What would you like to see if you were hiring someone? That's the type of stuff that employers would like to see on social media.
LinkedIn Isn’t Facebook
LinkedIn is a professional social media platform but people are getting a little bit more unprofessional with some of the posts. Things you see on LinkedIn are something you expect to see on Facebook instead.
Keep your LinkedIn feed professional and put your personal stuff up on your Facebook or Instagram.
Keep it separate.
Auditing Your Social Media
Wondering what to do before you start your next job search? Should you audit your social media accounts?
Put simply, it's no harm have a quick scan through.
Employers are not going to sit there and go through years and years and years of your posts.
If you posted something silly when you were younger, it’s not the end of the world.
If the silly post is recent, it's not a great look. Any recent posts that you think could be a little bit risky or have any sort of adverse effect, it's worth having a think about it.
If you are looking at the job market and you want to build up a professional profile and professional image, do try to be proactive around what you post on LinkedIn.
Creating an image is important. All the social media content is out there online. Take time to think about, "How do I want to come across, how do I want to be perceived?"
Need Help?
If you want any information or are interested in one of our roles in the Fintech and financial services industry, get in touch with us at Top Tier Recruitment.
Check out our podcast and, if there's ever anything that you would like discussed, feel free to get in touch, info@ttrmail.com.
If you need further help with your career and interested to learn more about career coaching, visit Possible Coaching today to arrange a introductory call!