It’s true that you may not have heard the story about an employee being fired because of his social media profiles. You may even be surprised when you hear about people who were hired owing to their online presence.
However, studies have found that 91% of hiring managers used to monitor candidates on social networking sites prior to hire them. Social media profiles are used by the employers to get details about the applicants.
These studies show that a good number of job recruiters in general make use of social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc to find candidates who are appropriate for their company. Hence, you can take it for granted that if you apply for a job, somebody in the firm will be looking at your social media profiles in order to know about the person you are.
Therefore here are some obvious ways that can help you to get hired using your social media profiles.
Reveal Your Personality
One of the most important things that it’s essential to do in your social media profiles is revealing your personality. Employers have a propensity to take a look at Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites not only to get an idea of who you are as an individual but also to understand how effectively you can contribute to their firm once you are selected.
Employers and recruiting managers analyze your social media profiles and utilize what they find out about you to weigh up how well you will play a part in their organization, and also how successfully you will perform your job. Hence, make sure that you are revealing your personality clearly in social media profiles with the intention of catching the attention of employers and therefore, getting hired.
Don’t Hide Yourself
Many social media users used to hide themselves and never reveal their skills and proficiency. The main reason for them to hide themselves on social media is the fear of misusing personal details. However, if you really wish to get hired based on your social media profiles, it is necessary for you to provide every detail regarding you which can help the employers to know you completely as a person.
Don’t hide yourself from any social media networks since there may still many ways left to find you. If you hide yourself, then this becomes a missed chance for you to illustrate how your talents, experiences, and personality are a great fit for the workplace. Therefore, try to make yourself known rather than concealed on social media networks.
Profile Picture
It has been said that your social media profile picture shows in actual fact the person who you are. Hiring managers check Facebook and other social media networks to see the job applicant’s profile picture along with observing his personal information. They understand that it’s a social network and they won’t insist you necessarily have a professional head shot for your profile picture but your profile picture will definitely guide them to evaluate your personality. As a result, if you have photos that make you look a smart applicant, use them as your profile picture.
Other inapt photographs
Some of the studies have found that a percentage of explanations behind rejecting a candidate after screening their social networking sites are due to inappropriate photographs. A photograph of yourself that gives a negative image will likely go against you. The photos that you place on social media networks will definitely give a clear picture of yourself. Thus, the hiring managers make use of this method to evaluate you and also to understand how much you fit to their organization. So, it is essential for you to move away from the snaps that give a negative image about you.
Inappropriate Posts and Comments
If you are after a new job, chances are your prospective employers are going to look deeply into your social media profiles. When employers look through your Facebook or Twitter page, they will definitely take a look at the kinds of comments and status updates you have made with the aim of acquiring a better sense of how you behave online. Consequently, the applicant’s inapt posts, inappropriate comments, posts of negative remarks (especially about other businesses and employers) will indeed make a negative impact. The job applicants should concentrate on staying away from posting comments or statements that could be measured as wrong in the workplace.
Always focus on restricting yourself from making any negative statements on your Facebook, Twitter and other social media accounts. Be appealing to the recruiters who are going to monitor your social media profiles by keeping away from telling negative comments about your current or earlier company or boss. Also do not share any inappropriate posts and comments or even photos in your social media profiles that could have a negative impact.
Communication skills
The majority of job recruiters search for employees who have effective communication skills. It is a fact that communication skills are very important for a person to become successful in his workplace.
Approximately half of the job recruiters agreed that they take a look at social networking sites after receiving the job application in order to understand their personality and skills including communication skills. The job recruiters are generally trying to find people who can be understood in both verbal and written communication so as a result spelling and grammar add up, even on social media sites. Hence, the candidate who shows poor communications skills is unlikely to be considered for the job.
Maintain Your Social Media Profiles Up To Date
You should always concentrate on keeping your social media profiles up to date. Bear in mind to provide significant status updates.
- Update your skills and expertise if you have earned anything new.
- Update your education qualifications
- and update your work experiences as well.
These simple touches can help to keep your social media profiles up to date and also to catch the attention of potential employers.
These are some of the ways you can use to your advantage and enhance your chances of getting hired through social media network profiles. Obviously, social media presents so many benefits to both employers and job hunters. If you make use of it the correct way, social media is a huge platform to connect with and make an impression on potential employers.
So, always dedicate yourself to learn what’s significant to the employers and utilize it to your benefit when you submit an application. If you have any suggestions for social media hiring (or firing) please share them in the comments below.
Images: “Ethnicity People Recruitment Digital Devices Searching Concept/Shutterstock.com“
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