Does My Social Media Presence Influence Potential Employers?

Social media is an essential part of the job process today. Sites like LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow employers to discover more about you beyond what you introduce to them through your résumé, cover letter, and interview.

When searching for a job, you should always keep in mind that much of what you post on the internet could be potentially found by employers, affecting your chances of becoming hired in the future.

Keep up with social networking privacy updates so you’re aware of what information you post is seen by others. Also, be proactive by taking control of your accounts, limiting both the things you post, and the things you’ve been tagged in, to keep employers from seeing you in a negative way.

Reasons Social Media Could Hurt Your Chances of Being Hired 

Employers will pass on a candidate due to the following reasons:

• Photographs or information is provocative or inappropriate
• Photographs or information displays the use of drugs and alcohol
• Bad-mouthing previous employer or former co-workers
• Poor communication skills
• Derogatory comments regarding age, race, gender, religion, etc.
• Lying about qualifications
• Sharing confidential information
• Evidence of criminal behavior
• Unprofessional screen name
• Lying about an absence

Reasons Social Media Could Help Your Chances of Being Hired 

While there are a lot of reasons to why you may not get hired based on what an employer finds when going through your social media, there are a lot of things employers will hire you based on. Some of those things include:

• The employer could see you fitting in well with the company culture
• Your profile gave the employer a good idea about your personality
• Professional qualifications were supported based on your background information
• Your images show you conducting yourself in a professional manner
• Your profile shows you to be well-rounded with a wide range of interests
• Evidence of great communication skills
• You show signs of being creative
• You received awards and accolades
• You interacted with the employer’s social media accounts
• Your profile shows a significant amount of followers or subscribers

Job seekers shouldn’t just hide or remove content that could be seen as inappropriate. It’s important to also work on building visibility and searchability by engaging on social networking sites. This can be done by creating profiles which show skills and experience from both previous and current jobs, as well as being consistently active online.

Posting a profile and checking your newsfeed from time to time won’t get you noticed by potential employers. Increase your web presence by participating in group discussions, reposting articles that interest you, and sharing ideas. While it may feel uncomfortable to put yourself out there when looking for a job, it’s important to keep confident when trying to secure your place in the workforce.

If you need help discovering what career path works for you, The Jobs Partnership can help get you connected with the right tools, resources, and employers. Our no-cost 12-week LifeWorks training program helps you discover a path to the job you were made for. Ready to better your future? Call us at 407-641-0755 or apply here to get started.