Now is the age of the Internet. Almost everyone, including your grandma, has shared some form of personal information via social media. According to the February 2010 PEW Internet report, nearly 72 percent of young adults and 40 percent of adults 30 and older use some form of social networking site, such as Facebook and Twitter. Both Facebook and Twitter keep everyone well connected and constantly updated. These networking tools are extremely effective for establishing connections with your family and friends, but they can also have a strong impact when it comes to job searching.
First impression counts
This saying applies to users’ appearance on social networking sites. In most cases, the profile picture is the first thing an employer will see. The career counselor at the College of Technology Holly Holman warns students, first and foremost, about the potential dangers of having a risqué profile picture. “Some employers do Google searches on prospective employees, and if they find you getting drunk in your profile picture, they may not call you for an interview,” Holman said.
As indicated by the 2009 CareerBuilder Survey, 45 percent of employers use social networking Web sites to screen future employees. One of the top reasons for an employer to dismiss a job candidate after viewing their profile is inappropriate photographs or information.
Holman suggests that students use a professional photo, just a headshot, for the profile picture. She also advises that students set their Facebook accounts to private to prevent employers from searching for you at all. This option strictly applies to Facebook.
There is a distinct difference between Facebook and Twitter. “Twitter can be used as both social and professional accounts whereas Facebook is mainly used for social networking,” Holman said.
She recommends that students follow people, companies or topics of interest, re-tweeting and commenting on their tweets.
Twitter has aided Alexa Scordato, a 22-year-old who tweeted about wanting an entry-level job in social media, to find a job at social media firm Mzinga.
“The number one way for people to find a job is through networking…and LinkedIn is the place to be,” Holman said. Launched in 2003, LinkedIn is a Web site that has approximately 50 million professionals, including local companies.
However, there are not many people who utilize LinkedIn; many are on Facebook for social purposes and other fun applications. 73 percent of adults use Facebook but only 14 percent have a LinkedIn profile (PEW Internet Report 2010).
“LinkedIn allows you to link to your professional Twitter or blog,” Holman said. LinkedIn also allows you upload your resume to your profile, which definitely come in handy for would-be employers.
Go the extra step: Personal Branding
When you see a vibrant shade of red on a bottle or a can, do you think of Coca-Cola? A beverage company that has effectively made their signature red known worldwide, Coke is most popular soda in the U.S. Bow to the power of branding.
Personal branding via social media is not only helpful for landing a job interview but also essential for keeping a professional profile on the Web. When it comes to personal branding, consistency is the name of the game.
Have a consistent, unique name on all your public web profiles so it is clear that they all belong to you. Also, you can employ similar typefaces for all your names, just like a logo.
“Like taglines under most logos, you can put something underneath your LinkedIn headline that appeals to people but not necessarily your job title,” Holman said.
The end goal here is to make you memorable to the prospective employers. The more you stand out, the more they will remember you.
Careers x Facebook +Twitter +LinkedIn = an unknown qty. of perils.
It is best to be consistent with all of your postings, as it is easy enough for employers and recruiters to hop between sites and paint a better picture of who you are. Bullion search terms (which many recruiters are trained to use) can “see” behind most of the access restrictions placed on your social media accounts by you and by the sites, themselves. There are no failsafes in social media, so it is always better to exercise caution at all times. Use the “Mom Approach,”when you post. If you think anything you may post just might embarrass your mom, don’t post it.
Don’t you mean Boolean search?
I’m surprised that so few people have LinkedIN accounts. I assumed I was having so much trouble connecting with people because I’m Australian, and it’s taking a while for LinkedIN to really take off Down Under, but it seems there are many people across the world who have not yet found the benefits of having a LinkedIN profile.