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Keep it

CLEAN.


Interviews don't start with firm handshakes anymore. They start with Google and Facebook searches. Social Media has been around for more than a decade and professionals still post inappropriate and irrelevant information that compromises their chances of getting an interviewed.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Media Mistakes

That Can Disqualify You From a Jobs

 

Your personal social media profiles have the potential for serious repercussions in your professional life. A recent survey found that 70% of employers use social media sites to research job candidates and of those, 57% have found content that caused them rejected a job candidate at some point during the recruitment process as a result of their online activities.

 

Employers say that if they can't find a job candidate online they are less likely to call that person in for an interview because in this prevailing society they expect candidates to have an online presence and they like to gather more information before calling in a candidate for an interview.

 

What Employers Think

When You’re Not on Social Media
— You Have Something to Hide —
While not everyone is into social media, not having any social media presence could make a potential employer think you’ve got something to hide.

To help reassure the hiring manager that there are no red flags in your social media, consider locking any existing profiles down, even if you rarely use them (except for your LinkedIn profile). If someone asks why your social media is set to private, explain that it’s just for family and friends. Alternatively, you could clean up any problematic posts and untag yourself from pictures that paint you in a less than professional light. Some people feel that innocent pictures at parties are acceptable won't offend potential employers. The challenge is not knowing what the hiring manager may think of the content shared.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who's Checking and Why?

 

 

According to employers who use social networking sites to research potential job candidates, what they're looking for when researching candidates is Information that supports candidate’s qualifications for the job, If the candidate has a professional online persona and what other people are posting about the candidate.

 

  

 

 

Problematic Content?

 

Employers who found content on social networking site that caused them not to hire a job candidate said these were the primary reasons

 

 

  Candidate was linked to criminal behavior     Screen name was unprofessional
  Candidate use of poor grammar Job candidate lied about an absence
  Prospective job candidate lied about qualifications Use of aggressive or offensive language
  Job hunter display information about them drinking or using drugs Candidate had poor communication skills
  Job contender use discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc. Job seeker shared confidential information from previous employers
 

Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos, or information Candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee

 

 

 
 

BEWARE....

 

It is not just job applicants who need to think twice about what they are displaying on the World Wide Web, but also employers on how they use the information they find.
 

 

 
 

 

Which Social Media Channels

Employers check?


Audit your social media accounts before applying for a position. While it’s important to check every account, there are some platforms hiring managers are more likely to check, such as LinkedIn.

“The four main platforms that most employers check are LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Most hiring managers if not all are personally interested in the job-candidate’s LinkedIn profile, as it’s the most relevant” also their aim is more to get a sense of job candidate's as a person than to look for damaging information”.

 

 

 

 

Here are some details about the major social media outlets:

 
 

Instagram:

 

Compared to the other social media channels, Instagram gives you a little more control over what is posted on your page. Keep your page professional and positive to give potential employers a sense of your attitude and personality.
 

Twitter:
 

Unless your profile is set to private, anyone can view what you post on Twitter and the other tweets that you like or reply to. Setting your profile to private prevents potential employers from seeing your content on Twitter, but may eliminate an opportunity to make a favorable impression.

 

Facebook:


Facebook is often seen as a more secure form of social media, because only people you are friends with can typically see your profile – if your settings are private. However, you still want to make sure that you are keeping tabs on what users post to your wall, tag you in and comment on your posts.
 

 

Tip: Showcase your positive personality traits on your social media profiles to be an effective applicant. Just one negative impression from your social media profile could disqualify you from a position.

 

  Tips for passing social media screenings
Follow these tips to benefit from potential employers performing social media screenings
 

 

 

 

  

Don’t erase your profile.


While the fear of something embarrassing or negative being discovered might tempt some job candidates to completely erase their online persona, employers say that strategy can backfire. It’s not a good idea to delete your profile because it doesn’t guarantee the data is completely gone. Instead, it’s best practice to keep your social accounts clean and up to date. “Many LinkedIn or Instagram accounts may still show up in Google searches [after you delete them], even on a cached basis.”

 

 

Use social media to your benefit.


Despite what job candidates might think, most employers are looking for reasons to hire someone. A survey was done with over 1,000 employers and found that 67% of them look for information that supports a candidate’s qualifications to get them through the door. [Including your social media handles on your resume shows employers that you’re confident in your online presence.] “Work to keep your social media accounts current, especially LinkedIn, to reflect your current work experience and accomplishments,”

 

 

Google yourself.


Every few weeks or months, take a minute to Google yourself. This is likely where your employer is going to start when they take a look at your online presence, so it’s good to know what will pop up. This will also help you get ahead of anything negative, so you can make sure all the top search results are something you would be fine with your employer seeing.

You might even consider setting up Google alerts for yourself, so if anything new pops up you’ll know right away. If everything remains positive, you’re good to go. If there is something you’d rather erase, there are companies you can work with to help improve your online presence.

 

  

Tip: Social media is one of many ways that you can improve your chances of getting hired. In addition to maintaining the proper online presence, you can use these apps to your advantage to show off your personality and work ethic.

 

 

 

How to make your profiles private


Since it’s legal for employers to check public social media accounts, consider creating at least one account for professional purposes and keeping personal accounts private.

“One of the best strategies I have seen is creating multiple, separate social media accounts on social media platforms. Job seekers may have a professional Instagram account, for instance, where they share their office and work wins. They may also have a more private personal account that is locked and only allows a select number of individuals to follow it.

Be wary of hiring managers requesting information beyond what’s available online. This is similar to employers asking inappropriate questions during interviews, and should raise a red flag about the firm. Hiring Managers may ask candidates to provide their password and login credentials for social media, “This is not technically illegal in many places, though, in my mind, it’s an uncomfortable invasion of privacy.”

 

 

Does social media show up on background checks?


Social media accounts don’t typically show up on background checks. Most background checks include employment history, credit information and legal problems. However, there may be some cases where social accounts show up on a social media background check.

 

 

What to avoid on social media


The study found that a whopping 55% of employers who use social media screenings said they have found content that caused them not to hire a candidate.

“They should be free of profanity and inappropriate photos,” “Remove any posts that may contain personal attacks. It’s OK to share your views, but keep them professional and appropriate.”
 

 

            Follow these guidelines to keep your online presence professional:

 
1.

 

  

Avoid posting anything potentially offensive. If you wouldn’t bring in a particular picture and post it in your cubicle, or say it at the workplace, remove it from your public page..

2.

Be purposeful in your posts. Ask yourself: What is my goal with posting this? Is this best for a private or public page?.

3. Keep it simple: Remember that less is more in your public profiles.

 

 

You shouldn’t ease up on your online presence once you land a job, either.

The study found that 78% of employers use social networking sites to research current employees.

 

 

  

Tip: You shouldn’t ease up on your online presence once you land a job, either. The study found that 78% of employers use social networking sites to research current employees.