4 Mistakes in Your Social Media You Should Avoid To Get A Job
Humans are social creatures, we developed communities so we could improve our safety and make our everyday life easier through cooperation with our fellow humans. As the world grew larger, we needed a way to stay in touch without the physical presence of people we want to interact with. The internet made it possible to communicate, cooperate, and share with people from all over the world. As online technology advanced, we acquired new tools, like social media, that made online connectivity even more seamless. Now, there are almost 4 billion active social media accounts and the same research claims that we spend around 116 minutes a day, on average, using different social media platforms.
However, with all the fun and friendly interaction that social media provides, there is a flip side to it. A recent study shows that 81 percent of small and medium business actively use social media, not just for marketing, but for more practical business purposes, as well. One of the reasons why businesses are active on social media is performing a job candidate research. Knowing that you are under the spotlight of potential employers should urge you to reconsider your online presence, which is the reason why we developed this article. Through a series of examples, we are going to discuss some of the most common mistakes people make while running their social media accounts that ultimately have a negative effect on their hiring potential.
When people visit your page on LinkedIn, their main concern in your professional value to their business.
Poor LinkedIn profile photo choice
If you have an active LinkedIn account you should understand the importance of making a good impression with anyone who visits your profile page. Your profile photo plays a significant role in making that first impression, so it’s a wise choice to think through before you place a holiday selfie or photo that shows you and your friends enjoying a night out. The worst-case scenario would be having no picture at all, which could lead to categorizing your account as fake or spam. Therefore, if you plan on landing a job opportunity via LinkedIn, try and place a photo which makes you seem like a responsible, trustworthy individual. According to statistics, users with proper profile photos generate 21 times more profile views and 9 times higher connectivity rate.
Privacy settings
Your social media account is your own, and you have the right to publish whatever you want but you have to accept the responsibility for your posts. Companies care about their public image, which also includes making sure that none of the members of their staff is doing anything that might harm their corporate culture or brand identity. Keeping all your social media posts public could lead to troubles when it comes to your job opportunity. Per example imagine being screened by BMW hiring agent while having posts that show your discontent with the famous car company. Furthermore, posting videos where you drink a dozen shots of tequila could seem funny to your friends, perhaps even impress a few people, but it sure won’t look good to people who count on you being able to wake up and get to work in the morning without a hangover. Recently, a woman from Virginia lost her job for posting a photo her company saw as unsuitable for a member of their staff. Therefore, always remember to adjust your privacy settings when posting sensitive content, or even better, don’t post any inappropriate content.
Bad or no resume
When people visit your page on LinkedIn, their main concern in your professional value to their business. The best way to show your value at that point is to have a well-written resume. According to a survey, more than half of the employers decided not to hire a candidate based on social media research. The same source shows that around 58 percent of businesses that look for potential hires online look for information that displays the candidate’s qualifications. In case you feel like your resume is not well-crafted, and it needs enhancement, there are online services that could help you, like Resumes Planet or some other service. Another survey shows that 43 percent of companies will not hire a candidate due to spelling errors in their resume.
Low social media engagement
Checking your notifications and messages on social media is important in case you don’t want to miss an opportunity to land a nice job. A potential employer could message you about your availability or interest in their company, so if you don’t respond in time the job could go to someone else or you could look unprofessional which could lead to being dismissed as a potential hire. In order to avoid similar situations, make sure you check your messages regularly. Being quick to respond shows that you are an active person, but more importantly, it shows that you respect other people’s time and effort they make in order to contact you.
Your online presence is your first contact with the people who want to know more about you. Make sure you show your best and use social media not only for personal promotion but also as a means to contribute to society. The better you look online, the higher the chances that a recruiter will see you as a perfect fit for their company.
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