All forms of social media should now undeniably and, to varying degrees, be part of your job search. Whether it’s connecting with people on LinkedIn, liking pages on Facebook or following companies on Twitter, social media is playing an ever increasing role.
So how can you make the most of your social media while job searching?
The numbers
With as many as 45% of employers admitting to checking potential employees’ social media profiles, and one in three of those rejecting candidates because of what they saw, it really pays to make sure yours is worthy of scrutiny.
Snap happy?
Be sure to check any photos you may have on your sites, whether uploaded by you or not. Anything rude or offensive needs to go and your profile picture should be of you and not your dog, family, blurry holiday pic or a generic non-descript image.
Google yourself
Most of us have secretly googled ourselves at one time or another so do it again to find out what’s out there about you on the World Wide Web. If you can find it, so can employers. Likewise, make sure your status updates are positive and clean – definitely no rants about work!
Tweet well
Tweets feel instant and disposable but they do hang around on your profile. Start tweeting about your target industry and stop tweeting frustrations. A positive, well-rounded, interested individual is more likely to appeal.
So having spruced up your social media, what are the elements that will appeal to employers and see them through to hiring you? It appears that they are drawn to personality, a positive and professional image, a variety of leisure activities and that you are who you say you are. But the big turns offs are inappropriate content, alcohol and drug use, negativity about previous jobs and plain old lies.
The golden rule of making social media work for you is to make sure you hide or remove anything you wouldn’t feel comfortable explaining in an interview.
City CV offer writing and interview coaching services to enhance your job search, including CVs and LinkedIn profile writing. Our award-winning team have over 100 years of top-level experience and we know what recruiters want to see. Contact us today on +44 20 7100 6656 or email to find out how we can help you.