Is your social media profile employment-ready?

Imagine going into an interview. You’re thinking about how you look, what you’ll say and so much more. But often the first impression you’ve made will have been when your prospective employer looked you up on social media.

Employers know you mean business if they see you showcasing your talents and interests and voicing your opinions on relevant trends and topics. They could, however, also get the wrong idea if they spot a tweet or image post that was only meant for friends. Check out the following guide to help get your profile employer-ready.

No more cringey email addresses
Remember your first email address? Or do you choose not to remember it due to the embarrassment it caused you? LifeSkills users recall their past cringe-worthy email addresses and talk about how important they can be to make the right first impression.

Show them your very best
Posting about your passions, projects and achievements lets employers know that you are ambitious, productive and talented outside of work. Even things you might consider normal could contribute towards making a great impression.

So employers can look for certain things when they check out your social media profile, these could be someone who has a good use of their social network, what you are saying, what does your network look like? what is your attitude?

If they see someone contributing positively on social media, it can give them a sense of your passions outside of work.  Also they could consider if you are showing them something different to someone else.

Celebrate your achievements
There is no reason to shy away from your successes – after all, it’s your page. By all means show how happy you are to get involved in volunteering, complete a project, play in a sporting team or even win an award. The pride you have in your hobbies and interests tells employers that you’re not all about work.

Keep it professional
Think before you post. Don’t publish a status or leave tagged photos of yourself online that could paint a less than desirable picture. Consider who’s going to see it and how it might come across, thus avoiding employers potentially getting the wrong impression. 

Make sure a recruiter is able to search for you - is your social media profile really easy to find?  You may want to make sure you are on the first page of google, this could include having content that other people are linking to and be updating frequently.

It’s also a good idea to follow the competitors of the business you are interested in, so you know what they are talking about, as well as the people who work within that business.  This helps to give you a point of view of what the business and individuals have done, say and think.   

Don’t’ forget to show passion for the area that you are interested in, so setting up accounts across social media dedicated to these things.

… but not too professional
Worried about recruiters seeing what you’re like in your spare time? Don’t be too concerned, your recruiter does exactly the same thing (well, once in a while). Funny gifs and holiday snaps with your mates show a healthy work-life balance, just try to make sure that sort of content is not all that’s in your feed, and that the pictures and jokes don’t get too risqué. Changing your settings to restrict what certain people see on your profile can also spare potential embarrassment. There are, however, a number of things employers excuse in social media profiles, as this video shows:

Social media is a great way to stay connected with friends, family and stuff you like, but with some tweaks and a slightly different focus it can also be a powerful tool for attracting potential employers. Take a look at the modules below to get more useful info on creating a positive online presence.