The Best Online Profile for Every Job Seeker
Do you know anyone who isn’t online these days?
Me either. Even grandma has a respectable stream of Amazon packages being delivered all the time.
So when it comes to your job search, it shouldn’t be a surprise that 3 out of 4 recruiters will check out a candidate’s online presence before making a hiring decision. Your social media profiles help employers get a feel for who you are outside the confines of your resume or a job interview and more effectively evaluate your character and personality.
About 1 in 3 employers who check social media profiles admit to finding content that caused them not to hire that candidate. Provocative or inappropriate content, evidence of doing drugs, poor communication skills, bad-mouthing previous employers, excessively leaving negative reviews, and discriminatory comments are some of the most common posts causing recruiters to reject an otherwise qualified candidate.
If you pay even the slightest attention to politics or pop culture, you already know anything you put online can be found by anyone, at any time – including your coworkers, former bosses, and prospective employers. So don’t put anything online that could come back later to haunt you.
Now for the good news: recruiters aren’t just searching through your social media profiles for dirt, they’re also looking for information that might give you an advantage.
A CareerBuilder survey found 29% of recruiters found something positive on a social profile, leading them to offer that candidate a job. Among other reasons, it could be that they felt a connection with that candidate’s personality, that they conveyed a professional image with a creative, well-rounded profile, or maybe great communication skills were displayed.
Instead of focusing on hiding or removing inappropriate content (although if you need to hide it, it probably shouldn’t be online at all), focus on building a strong social network and profile that accurately represents your personality, interests, skills, and workplace experience.
Consider these tips to help you create an online presence that’ll catch the eye of any recruiter:
- Don’t post any questionable photos, potentially offensive comments, or content – you never know who will see it.
- Don’t post criticisms or overly negative reviews about current or former employers – it makes you look bad, not them.
- Make sure your profile picture professionally conveys your personality and isn’t flaunting your physical attributes.
- Choose a couple of platforms to use and remain active on them – you want to avoid the inactivity that comes from having too many profiles.
- Engage with relevant content you’re interested in based on your chosen field or industry to demonstrate your personality and expertise.