Call it the ‘Kardashian/Jenner effect’, but 2018 is following 2017’s lead in paving the way for meticulously modified Instagram posts and the perception that social media is a representation of a person’s very own brand.
In the digital age, everyone is an investigator and with the focus laying on how your social network following perceives you, it can be easy to forget that current and potential employers can also gain an insight into your private life through your posts.
We joined forces with the team over at Finance.co.uk who told us what to keep off our social channels to land our dream role.
Did it even happen if you didn’t check in?
‘Checking in’, your destination at every opportunity has fast become the norm however, when conducting a job search perhaps it is not wise to ‘check yourself in’ at every mid-week party. It is crucial that you present yourself as a proficient expert within your field who is reliable. Declaring that you are on your 5th drink as Wednesday is the new Thursday and Thursday is the new Friday is probably best left off Instagram. Employers will immediately believe that you are likely to either not perform at your best or not turn up at all.
A bio says a thousand words
Whether it is an innocent declaration of your interests, a vague description that makes you bang on trend or a monologue of everything that makes you tick, it is best to be mindful of your bios. Maybe (unless relevant to your industry), stay away from brash political statements and your annoyances at the world and stick to likable positive comments.
Let me take a selfie
A Selfie is common place on a social media page. However, there is a time and place. Save the selfies for the likes of Instagram and Facebook and keep them away from LinkedIn. Instead, adopt a professional image that portrays you as a professional and responsible person.
Your privacy settings may not work
We have all been guilty of changing our social media privacy settings and assuming that all is OK with regards to employers viewing our profiles. However, did you know that anybody on Facebook can view the images that you are tagged in. Make sure that you have reviewed ALL your privacy settings, including those terms and conditions that may vary when transferred to mobile.
All the best
It may seem kind to wish someone luck on social media before their big interview however, if they are employed already it may be a sure-fire way to annoy their current employer.
On the other side of the coin, if you have a series of interviews lined up and followers repeatedly wish you luck, when potential employers inevitably look you up on Facebook, it may see like you are not taking the role of looking for a role seriously and are applying for anything and everything.
We don’t like fakes
When winning an interview for a role, it can be tempting to follow all the company’s social accounts whilst and posting all relevant articles to the role in hand. However, this sudden interest in a company can see a little disingenuous and fake.
It is wise to consistently comment on news within your industry throughout your social channels to show that you have a genuine interest.
