Looking for a job is as hard as looking for a needle in a haystack. Know that you need to know how social media profiles can hurt you. Most employers want experience but what experience do you have if you are a fresh graduate?
Sometimes too they tell you that you are overqualified for the job especially if you have a Master’s Degree, especially a Doctorate.
How social media can affect your employment
The most difficult reason employers give to job seekers is probably also something you do not expect but chances are it is what makes or breaks you.
And that is your social media accounts. Sure, it seems harmless but one tweet or one post can actually harm your chances of getting hired.
Some ways that your social profiles can HURT job opportunities
Your social media accounts reflect your personality and a lot of employers look to your social media account to see who the real you is and what you can bring to the table.
However, sometimes an innocent tweet or an innocent post can do more harm than good as it can be misinterpreted and be seen as harmful to the company.
Employers tend to think that you are what you post, forgetting that sometimes you are caught up in the moment that’s why you posted something they deem you shouldn’t have. They sometimes misinterpret a tweet or a post.
Even if you apply for Mcdonalds jobs online, if you post or tweet that to you was just for fun might be deemed dangerous to the company and they are going to think that is who you are already.
Is it fair?
Sounds like a catch-22 situation and a damn if you do and damn if you don’t kind of thing that is why some people don’t post that much on their social media account or don’t have as much social media account as others have.
Sure, it seems unfair that employers will judge who you are and what you can bring to the table through your social media post especially since it is just a tiny window into who you really are. Yes, it is a true fact your social profile can hurt job opportunities so don’t do these mistakes:
Privatize your social media profile when job searching
Turn off being private in your social media account because employers will think you are either hiding something or have nothing of benefit to show.
Especially if you work in the tech industry, employers are going to wonder why they can’t find you online when you should have a presence online to show off your skills on the web.
Turn your settings to public so employers will be able to find you and see how friendly, amiable, and sociable you are and how good you are dealing with other people, especially strangers.
Don’t buy social media fake followers
If you’ve got a public social media profile on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc… Think of your followers as your connections.
Sometimes employers will want to know how many followers you have to know how well you interact and build relationships. Why? Because sometimes these two skills are important in an office setting as you will always be meeting people and interacting with them.
Having a good rapport with your co-workers, in a strange way, can be determined by how many followers you have and how you interact with them. Sounds silly but it’s true. Don’t cheat by buying followers as there are a multitude of apps right now that tells an employer if you have fake followers.
Here’s how social media profiles can affect your employability
Having an inactive social profile
Now, this is up for debate. There are those who think that you can’t just sign up for a social media account then forget all about it. You also have to post or tweet on it at least twice a week. Being active in your social media account shows you know how to engage with people and have a lot of things to say.
Others say it doesn’t matter. So, it’s up to you but if you’re just one of those who like to blabber a bunch of nonsense or constantly complain and vent out your frustrations online, then you better change your social profiles to private, otherwise risk potential employers looking at your ill advised posts.
Personal Views
Sure, it is your social media account so you can post or tweet anything your heart desires. Unfortunately, tweeting or posting anything too personal might cost you the job you have been looking for. Regrettably, employers might disagree with something you posted or tweeted that you think is just you thinking out loud. Yes, employers do judge you on what you posted that might be too personal instead of your skills and what you can bring to the company.
However, all is not lost. There are still some things you can do to make your social media accounts work for you.
Clean it!
This will take a lot of time but you will need to clean up your social media account. Delete anything that you think will do you more harm or good. Even if that tweet or post is just a quote, it might be deemed as something else to an employer so better double read anything you have ever tweeted and posted and scrub out anything you think is undesirable.
Check your Friends
Keep a tab on what your friends post about you. They might post an unflattering picture of you that they may think is funny but could hurt your job opportunities
Be visible
Make sure employers will be able to find you online.
Digital Identity
Search for your name to see if you have other people whom you share the same name with and that they might be undesirable to the company. If you do, better inform the employer that that person is not you.
Be Active
Be proactive online and try to post or tweet at least twice a week.
Yes, how social profile can hurt your job opportunities is pretty unnerving. It can make you paranoid and anxious but as long as you keep it clean and simple then there’s really nothing you should be scared of.
