Could your social media be costing you a job offer?
With the rise of social media in our lives it’s not surprising that 52% of employers say that they search a candidates social media channels before screening them for final interviews. But could your social media be costing you a job offer?
Whether you are currently employed or actively looking for a job, it’s important to make sure that you’re not inadvertently sending out the wrong kind of message over your social media profiles.
If you're concerned about this,the best thing to do is Google search yourself - this way you will be able to see what others will be able to see when they type in your name. Are there things on there that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see?
Why should my social media matter?
Your social media is exactly that; yours and of course you can write whatever you like on your pages. However if a potential employer does search you and then comes across something they find inappropriate it may jeopardise your job application despite it having nothing at all to do with your skills or experience. As the old saying goes “it’s better to be safe than sorry”.
Privacy settings..
On social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram you can change your privacy settings so that only those you are friends with can see what you post, but remember things you write on friends’s walls and your tagged photos can be seen on other people’s profiles as well.
Its good to remember that even if your security settings are already pretty tight, people will more than likely still be able to see your profile picture so make sure there’s nothing inappropriate in there that you wouldn’t want a potential employer to see.
A recent Jobvite survey showed that the following are not surprisingly on a list of what employers do not want to see in a candidates profile..
- 83% of employers say they are turned off by references about using illegal drugs
- 71% are turned off by posts of a sexual nature
- 65% are turned off by use of profanity
- 61% are turned off by bad spelling or grammar
- 51% are turned off by references to guns, and
- 47% are turned off by photos of consuming alcohol
Top tips
Here are our top tips to make sure you don’t get ‘caught out’ on social media;
- Make sure your privacy settings on your page are so that it is only visible to your friends and family
- Make sure your work history and education match your CV
- Don't post or share offensive content
- Don't post negative comments about your boss, colleagues or place of work
- Don’t post online during working hours
With all this said there's no need to feel uneasy when posting on your social media, just make sure that you are aware of your online image an how you may come across to potential employers.
If you are looking to make a change in your career then we have a wide range of jobs throughout the West and East Midlands, why not check out our vacancies here.