Social Media & Career Growth
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and all of the dozens and dozens of other social media sites are all gathering spots for people from around the world to come together and talk, share, play and get to know one another. It is our own special places where we can express ourselves in any manner that we choose. But, before you start posting drunken photos of your ladies night at the club or language that would make your mother blush, consider the fact that even with private settings your profile may not be as hard to access as you think, leaving it open to anyone who wants to see this information to do so, even potential employers.
It isn’t just these sites –if you have a blog or a website this information is also on the line and open for anyone to see, including those hopeful employers.
You better believe that employers are looking at this, too. They want to know who they’re hiring, and what better way to get acquainted than through your personal pages on social media? More than 1/3 of all employers are using social media in the selection and rejection process of their job positions.
Social Media tips
Keep these things in mind when you post to any social media networking website:
- Who are your ‘friends’? Many times social media results in friendships from people we’ve never met. Who are these people? You never know who they know, who they’re friends with in real life or in the virtual world or where they work or who they go to church with. This means word can easily get back to an employer who may also be able to view the information from their friend’s profile.
- Keep all of your profiles set to private. All sites have this option, but be careful that you’re not accidently failing to mark some of your posts to private mode. You can keep information that could help in your job search/growth public.
- Keep your social networking sites clean. Do not use profanity and certainly do not post photos that you may regret in the morning.
- Your account can get hacked and should this happen it is anyone’s guess as to what will happen to it, but there’s always the risk that your photos and posts can get posted elsewhere without your permission or knowledge. It happens every single day.
- If you post a photo friends can save that photo into their computer and repost it for all to see.
- Tagging is also a way that you can get caught up with a photo or a post, so be sure that you tell friends to avoid posting risqué information with your tag in it.
Benefiting your Career with Social Media
Social media can also benefit you in a number of ways. For example, LinkedIn is a professional networking site built to bring business-minded individuals together with employers from around the world. LinkedIn enables you to post your job history, your resume and other information from your career and educational background.
You can also use social media to help you create your own business page for employers to see which will positively impact you. Your blog is another excellent way to make a positive impact of your name to those that you want to impress.
The Bottom Line
It is a new day and age and employers are no longer stopping with a resume and cover letter to make the hiring decisions for their organizations. Social media is everywhere and there isn’t a question that employers are getting their benefit of it, too. They can learn so much about their applicants through these personal pages and they use it to quickly determine who they think would be a good fit and who would not. Make sure that you always remember that your information that is put out there on the web is never really private and at any moment it can get into the wrong hands. If you want to be saw as the professional that you really are, make that a reflection in all faucets of your life.
Social media can help or hurt you in your search for the perfect job, and it is your decision as to which of these methods you will subject yourself to. The most important thing to remember is, if you wouldn’t want mama to read it, you shouldn’t post it on social media.
Priya N. is a blogger & content writer from Mumbai. She writes on http://www.jobs8home.com/ about blogging, career & make money tips.
