How Much Does Social Media Really Affect Jobseekers?

There was a time, not too long ago, when the only way you knew about a job vacancy was through an advertisement in a crinkled, and slightly yellowed, classified section of a newspaper. You’d get a vague description of what the company is looking for, surrounded by dozens of other vague and seemingly unrelated positions. This is what the Millennials refer to as vintage advertising.

It was a time when both parties knew nothing about each other. The employer could be a peanut-paying dictator and the job applicant could be an accountant by day and piracy junkie by night. Needless to say, it used to be fairly tedious to do a background check. Because of our social media-dependant culture, it’s now very critical for job candidates to be on the top of their online game if they want to advance in their career. Take a look at our top tips for how social media can help you land that dream job.

 

1. Get creative with your LinkedIn Profile

These days, HR departments in companies are leaning more and more towards cutting out the middleman, i.e recruiters and agents. A platform like LinkedIn is the perfect resource for direct recruiting, allowing the hiring manager to post a job themselves and manage the applications, all while conducting a cursory background check on the applicant.

A well written, complete and comprehensive LinkedIn profile gives the hiring manager the impression that you’re detail oriented, meticulous and genuinely interested in looking for a job.

It’s also worth noting that your CV will have all the vital information that the interviewer wants to know. Your LinkedIn profile is an added opportunity to give that extra level of information that sets you apart from the rest of the applicants. It could be an interesting project presentation, volunteer experience, a unique hobby or a list of all the different languages you are fluent in. If English isn’t your native language and you're applying for an English-speaking job, this is a great place to talk about your international experience and show them some of your new English skills.

 

Social Media – LinkedIn profile
How do you want to sell your skills online? Remember to portray yourself as an achiever, not just a follower.

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2. Never underestimate the power of your online reputation

We’re living in the era of transparency, an age in which social media and the web make sure everyone knows of every little detail how a company is doing or what the job applicant was up to the night before their big interview.

As part of an extensive background check, hiring managers will most likely go through all your online profiles and photos. So if you have some embarrassing skinny-dipping or bachelor party pictures, it's time for those to come down. You don't want to seem like a boring person, but employers don't want a loose cannon in their workforce either. If you have a blog or a twitter account, take note of the language you've used in your recent posts. Any negative impressions will immediately diminish the positives of your resume and your skill set.

 

Social Media - Online Reputation
Foodie photos are probably safe; New Years Eve party photos are probably not.

 

3. Don’t forget, reputation is a two-way street

While we all know a company will look you up while reviewing your application, did you know that you could look them up as well? Websites like Glassdoor, LinkedIn and even Facebook give you an insider’s look into a company’s ratings and reviews from previous employees. However, these should always be taken with a grain of salt – people are less likely to leave a good review when they are happy with their position than a bad review if they are angry with the company.

It's always better to check what you're getting into, in terms of working conditions, growth prospects, team dynamics, etc. This way, you get to learn a bit more about the employee satisfaction at a particular company and get a better idea of how you might fit in there if you get hired.

 

Social Media - Company reputation
How high is this company rated by its current and past employees?

 

Do you have any other social media tips to share with us? Let us know in the comment section below or visit us on our social media platforms – but don’t forget to be careful what you say on social media!

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