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A Guide to Social Media and Marketing Yourself Online

22-10-2019
Job seeker advice

Social Media is a contentious issue when it comes to the recruitment process and there is much debate over whether prospective employers should be accessing and judging someone based on their social media accounts when considering them for a role.

However, with social media now such a huge part of our society and it being easy to find someone at the touch of a keypad, the fact is that your online presence is highly likely to be viewed and taken into account by employers.

So how do you ensure that your social media accounts don’t come between you and your dream job? Let’s look at the facts.

According to CareerBuilder’s 2018 survey, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the application process, up from 37% in 2012.

48% of employers will keep checking your accounts once you’re employed!

Interestingly, nearly half of employers won’t invite you to an interview if you they can’t find you online.

Based on the evidence, you need to accept that a recruiter or a hiring manager is likely to conduct some research on you before they invite you to interview. This will usually involve a simple Google search or by searching on the most popular social media platforms. You have the power to control what they find when they conduct these searches.

While it may seem logical to lock down your accounts and set them all to private, the evidence suggests that almost half of employers won’t even invite you to an interview if they can’t find a thing about you. For this reason, it is important that you curate what they will find in order to reflect the best version of you.

A great way of being easily found online while demonstrating your employability is by setting up a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a professional network used for sharing business news, work achievements and company updates, a far cry from the crazy cat videos and baby pictures found on Facebook. Most professionals and businesses will have a LinkedIn account so this is a popular place for employers to prospect candidates. Simply setting up a profile, highlighting your skills and experience will ensure you are easily found and giving the best impression.

When it comes to your other social media accounts such a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter it is really your discretion as to whether you keep them public or make them private. There are some key things to consider when making this decision.

Have you ever posted or shared something that could cause offense? It is important to consider this objectively and consider other people’s opinions, could someone else find any of your content offensive? If you have even the slightest niggling feeling you should delete it or consider making this profile private.

Are you able to filter what you post in future if you keep your accounts public? It’s great to review your profiles ahead of a job interview but the statistics show us that 48% of employers will keep an eye on your online posts once you’re hired. If you’re posting content which could cause any conflict with your role or paints you in a negative light this could impact you further down the line.

It’s all about finding the balance between being professional ad showing your personality. Employers don’t look to hire robots with no personality but they are equally cautious about how their employees represent their business.

Our experienced and knowledgeable team at Perfect Placement know exactly how to present you to an employer. Your local recruitment advisor can give you the perfect advice on how to manage your social media accounts and the best way to market your skills online.

If you need further advice or help contact the team at Perfect Placement on 01603 701 077.