Social Distortion: Social Media’s Role in Job Hunting

 Let’s see if I can do this off the top of my head:  Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and I’m sure I’m missing others.  Look, the point is that if you’re the type of person who is plugged into the Internet for any number of hours a day you’re probably on at least a handful of social media style sites. 

Is this a good thing if you’re hunting for a new job?  Yes.

Is this a bad thing if you’re hunting for a new job?  Yes.

Amazing how that works.

Making use of social media is a great way to network, learn about jobs and try to make the two of those connect.  More employers are asking for your LinkedIn profile these days because it’s a pretty uniform version of a resume.  And you’re out of your mind if you think recruiters like myself aren’t checking up on those types of things too.

Which brings us merrily to my next point:  I, and others like me, are checking these sites, people!  It shouldn’t have to be said, but here we go anyway:  If you’re looking for a job, keep potentially negative things off your social media feeds.  Lock that stuff down and prevent yourself from being passed over because of posts that offer TMI about things like the bachelor party you attended last weekend or that last article you read about polygamy trends in the US.  Bad, bad, bad.    

This month we’re going to spend some time talking about the appropriate uses of social media.  It’s a broad topic so I want to devote some posts to it.  Namely:  how to develop an online presence, what should be included in an online portfolio and how to prep yourself for the inevitable background checks.

Before I close this out I’ll give you all a little homework before my next post.  Take the time right now and go through your social media sites and take a look at the following:

-          Your privacy settings.  Who can see what you’re posting?  Who can find you?

-          Who is following you or friends with you?  Are they a liability?

-          Is your contact information accurate?  Is your email address professional?

-          Are your pictures depicting things of a questionable nature?

We’ll spend some time talking about these things next week!

Be sure to follow TalentTap on Twitter and Facebook as well and I’ll do what I can to hand out some tips and tricks on how to get ahead using social media.  Despite what I said above, it can be an incredible tool in helping to secure a better job for yourself.