Social recruiting is becoming the new way of life. Before you’re even considered for a job managers and recruiters are now using social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to see who you truly are beyond your resume. Of course having an amazing resume is crucial, but it’s not the only aspect employers take into account when deciding who they want to hire. Today, we are here to tell you the top 3 things employers look for in your social media accounts.
1. Are you who you say you are?
Employers don’t want to just see what your social life is like. They are looking to see if your social media accounts reflect who you say you are on your resume and cover letter. They want to see if everything you say you’re qualified in, corresponds to what you have on your social media accounts. LinkedIn is huge when it comes to this matter! First of all if you don’t have a LinkedIn account, I would highly recommend jumping on bandwagon and creating one! LinkedIn is the place to connect and show off all your accomplishments on a more professional level. Employers tend to look at their candidate’s LinkedIn profiles to see if qualifications and previous job experience reflects their resumes. They want to make sure you are consistent in your overall personal brand representation.
2. Mindful Sharing
Nothing is private. When you are about to post something even questionable on social media, think to yourself “Would I really want my boss to see this?”. If the answer is no, don’t do it! Sure, social media is a great place to express who you are and what you love to do in your free time, but there is always a time and place to post these things. Maybe think twice about posting a picture of you and Sally clearly intoxicated on your instagram.
Employers will look to your social media accounts to see if what you’re posting is professional and appropriate. No employer wants to hire someone who could potentially give their company a bad reputation. Seeing inappropriate images or foul words on a potential candidates social media is a huge red flag. To avoid misrepresenting yourself, think through what you want to share with the world…Because in today’s day in age nothing is private and nothing is ever truly deleted.
3. Are you a good fit to the company culture?
Employers want to get a feel of who you truly are beyond the resume and cover letter. They want to see if you would be a good fit to their company culture. One way to quickly see if you match their culture is by checking your social media accounts. This is the best way for employers to see what your hobbies are outside of the professional workplace. Whether its a picture of you by the pool with your dog or communicating with a friend on twitter. Employers are able to get a better sense of you are as a person, rather than just a bland description of you on your resume. Like they always say, a picture is worth a thousand words! Social media has the power to give employers that intimate view inside your social life. This tends to be a deciding factor when it comes to the hiring process. Employers want to make sure you are a good fit for the company and that the company is a good fit for you.
So instead of overthinking what you should post to your social media accounts, remember to just post content that positively promotes who you are as a person. Be true to who you are and give employers absolutely no reason as to why they shouldn’t hire you!