Social Media and Your
Career: What does your online presence say about you?
Did you
know employers frequently research candidates prior to choosing who is worthy
of an interview? Research often extends past LinkedIn and reach into Facebook,
Twitter, Google+ and any other information to be found on the Internet. If you
are going to invest in the services of a certified professional resume writer
in Calgary, then also invest a bit of time in optimizing your online presence.
In this day and
age, employers are likely to google your name to access and assess your online
activity. Tweets, Facebook/google+/YouTube
video/forum comments can form part of the job candidate acceptance review. What
do your comments say about you? How will they be perceived by a prospective
employer? Are they conciliatory, antagonistic, confrontational, emotional,
intelligent, logical, irrational, mean, or uplifting? Whether you like
it or not, your online activity in all its forms is now a core component of
your personal brand.
The social media scene can no longer be seen as a playground
for reckless abandon where you're free to say whatever you want and to whom.
There can be consequences, and they could very well negatively impact your
career. Assess your own activity before an employer does and try to have
unprofessional content removed from google permanently. Take great care with
your posts and comments. If you're smart about it, you can use social media to
build a very positive image of yourself across multiple platforms.
Do you have a presence?
LinkedIn is the most popular network for professionals;
however, it is prudent to have an alternate personal profile to supplement this.
Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ are the most popular networks, each with its own
set of benefits. Regardless of whether your profile is personal or
professional, most recruiters prefer to see your real name, not a modified version,
or even more off-putting, an alias.
Activity
levels are another point recruiters often consider. Showing a healthy level of
activity will help to improve your position in their assessment. Excessive
activity such posting an update every few minutes can be a turnoff, while one
post a year can make you appear disengaged.
Industry
and profession also play a role in the level of your engagement with social
media and in a recruiter's assessment. For example, a recruiter usually expects
a candidate applying to a marketing agency to be more active than a person
applying for an actuary position.
Do you demonstrate tact?
Consider
the tone, diction, and style of your posts and comments. Ask yourself these
questions before you post:
·
Do
your posts and comments enhance your professional image?
·
If
you speak the way you write on social media, would you be able to keep your
job?
If you
answer "yes" to both, then you are on the right track with your
social media. If you say "no" or feel a twinge of doubt, then you
need to take action immediately to clean up your social presence. Comb through posts and comments and delete
anything that could turn off a recruiter. Privacy settings are not a
trustworthy safeguard to protect against online indiscretions.
Are your profile pictures and photos
appropriate?
Headshots
are by far the best profile image for a professional in search of a new
position. Photographs, both those posted by you and those where friends have
tagged you, also deserve scrutiny. Consider taking down images that present a
less-than-professional you. These could include pictures of social occasions,
wedding pictures, family portraits (it might not be wise to inadvertently
reveal your family or marital status), and poor quality snapshots of the
mundane.
Mind your P's and Q's
Although
you might hear conflicting information about how to manage social profiles, the
key point to remember is that anything you post on the Internet can come back
and rear its head. The best practice is to post and say things you would not
mind your boss repeating to the team during a meeting.
As your professional
resume writer in Calgary, I can also help you develop your LinkedIn profiles to
enhance your standing in the job market.