When searching for a job as a freelancer, first impressions really do count – even digital ones.
Applying for jobs in today’s employment marketplace doesn’t just mean sending out resumes and applications. Now that we are entering a more digital world, Social profiles are a new and important way to companies recruit. Oomple recruiters are well aware that there’s no doubt time has been spent reviewing social media profiles as a standard part of their recruitment decision-making process.
Social Recruiting is growing rapidly, especially on LinkedIn and Facebook. This means that social media isn’t just being glanced at. It’s being actively used to recruit, interview, and consider applicants.
With a growing importance of social media in today’s business world, what can you do to keep your social networking profiles employer-friendly?
Love that profile picture where you’re dancing on the beach with a cocktail on your hand? Sorry, it’s got to go. Choose a profile pic that is friendly and approachable but professional at the same time.
This means updating your profiles to include your current and recent employment. It’s worth doing so on all of your accounts to demonstrate consistency and to show how important your career is to you.
Sure, social media is a place to express yourself but also keep in mind that you’re effectively speaking in public. Avoid any inappropriate memes, jokes, swearing, stories about weekend benders, rants about your current boss, potentially offensive opinions… you get the picture!
Decide whether you want to share all of your personal information online. For example, do you want to share your age on social media? Do you want to include marital status? Do you want to include your weaknesses?
Get to know your privacy options and adjust your settings to suit you. Not sure where to find these settings? Google can help with that! You don’t have to switch it to completely private but you have options!
Social media is the best place to share your passion about what you do. Share articles, share blog posts, connect with mentors. Posting positive comments about your team also helps boost your image as a positive candidate. OR create your own content, post articles on Linkedin, post pictures of you on Instagram at your job, doing what you love.
Following and interacting with the mentors, role models, influencers in your industry is a great way of showing your enthusiasm for your work. Being a member of professional networks and getting involved in forum chats relating to your profession is another good way of boosting your employer-friendly digital footprint – as well as building potentially useful relationships.
Spend some time editing your social media bios to present yourself in your best possible light. Showcase your skills, highlight your most interesting and relevant hobbies and aim to create a cohesive personal brand across all of your accounts.
Yes, recruiters and employers will search for you on google. This is exactly what potential employers will do and it gives you a great overview of your online presence. Inappropriate photos from the past of you showing up on a friend’s blog? Ask them to remove them.