Social media is everywhere. Nearly everyone has some form of social media, and most information nowadays is communicated through blog posts, tweets or videos. Social media is a great way to share information with other people, network and follow particular companies and brands to find out about their job opportunities. However, be careful, because your usage of social media could actually be hindering your job opportunities!
With social media so prevalent, it’s not surprising that employers may check a potential employee’s presence online. CareerBuilder.com interviewed employers to see how they used social media when interviewing and recruiting. They found that 65% of employers use social media to evaluate the professionality of the candidate: meaning they looked at the character of the person to see if they would fit well with the company, and to learn more about their qualifications and experiences that are cited on their CV. They also check to see if there are reasons as to why they couldn’t hire the candidate*.
Now you’re feeling extremely paranoid about who’s watching you online! Here are a couple of examples of why an employer wouldn’t hire you if they found these on your social media:
- Unrefined pictures:
All university students have friends, and most university students like to spend time with their friends by drinking or partying. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. However, if there are loads of pictures of you naked and dancing on the table with six beer bottles littered round your feet, then it’s not going to send the best message to an employer. Of course, there’s going to be the odd picture on your Facebook that doesn’t present you in the best light, but that’s okay. Just ensure that when you’re applying for jobs, maybe make that picture private. Or if you’re really worried about your employers seeing what you’ve been up to at university, then just make your social media private just to be safe!
Employers aren’t going to not hire you just because you enjoyed your years at university and shared that with friends and family on social media. In fact, it might help your prospects as they’ll be able to see that you’re an outgoing, fun-loving, social butterfly. It’s just the pictures that your Nan would shed a tear at that will damage your job prospects.
- Bullying or aggressive behaviour:
So your housemate has irritated you because he left all of his dirty dishes in the sink and they haven’t been washed for a week. There’s no harm saying how you feel on Twitter – that’s its primary purpose to converse feelings in 140 characters or less. However, employers will start to question whether to hire you when they see evidence of you bullying someone or engaging in aggressive behaviour online. If you constantly engage in Twitter arguments or have used repetitive expletive or harmful language, then employers are going to think that that is your nature. When in reality you’re a lovely person. Some employers check social media before they invite you in for an interview. So if they see that you constantly verbally fight with someone online, then they’re going to think you’re an aggressive person who wouldn’t work well in their work environment.
A tip would be to try and keep arguments and expletives off social media – but if you can’t, create a ‘professional’ social media. This is where you can present yourself professionally, revealing your true characteristics to potential snooping employers. A professional Twitter account is a great way to network and gain insight information from other people about the industry you want to go into!
- Negativity about jobs/careers
You’re all snug in bed and you’re thinking how much you hate your job. So you write a little comment on Twitter saying how bad your job is and how much you hate Jane Doe in reception. You may think no one can see it, and most of the time they won’t. However, some employers will read this and it might possibly give them a reason to have a chat with you about your long term stay with the company. Everyone hates their job from time to time, and everyone wants to just stay in bed rather than face the horrible British weather. But negative comments on social media about your job and company might land you in hot water. The best advice would be to leave these comments off social media, and instead have a good gossip with your friends.
If you avoid these three big social media no-no’s then your employers will have no reason to question your employability. Of course, these are extreme cases! This post isn’t meant to scare you, so please don’t delete your social media and all of your lovely photos with your friends just because you think no one is going to hire you. In fact, social media is becoming a place of business rather than a social place nowadays. Having a professional Twitter can help network with employers and other colleagues; it can allow you to engage with other people and swap tips and tricks about the industry. Having a LinkedIn profile is a great way to find jobs, have a professional online presence, and network. If you want more information on what a LinkedIn profile is check out this blog post!
Happy (late) Halloween!
By Charlotte Brindley | Careers Ambassador | YSJ