Did you know an estimated of 300 hiring professionals monitor
social media to search for job candidates? I find that intriguing! We spend so much time
on it that we sometimes forget to filter what images or language we post
online. Are you careful with what you post online? Hiring managers search
through social networks thoroughly and examine the types of posts and behaviors
you are associated with. Employers usually screen candidates after receiving
a completed application. Even though Facebook is said to be a dying network,
employers use Facebook the most to screen the candidates. You may not think
that employers are taking the time to look you up but they actually are! So, don’t
give them a reason to reject your application. The main thing you want to
refrain from is lying about your qualifications and having them cross-check
your LinkedIn profile to find out it’s a lie! Today, nothing is private! Corporations
may be interested in observing your social skills and personality and see if
you will fit in with their corporate culture. Your name is your brand! You don’t
want to deteriorate your personal brand by associating with negative comments
or exaggerating about your skills.
Below you will find another inforgraphic, How Are Employers Screening Job Applicants?”
As students, especially as graduate students it's imperative that we are cautious as to what we are Tweeting, Face-booking and so on. We are no longer undergrads in which we were naive and young. Now, we are at a different level and are viewed as professionals. But we have to
remember that personal brand isn't perishable. So whatever we may have posted
in the past will not go anywhere. Even if you go a year without activity,
social media sites will still remember who you are! Scary? Just a little! But that’s
the risk you’re taking when you create all these different accounts. So what we
have to ask our self everyday is, “Is this building a personal brand?” if so,
then awesome, if not, then refocus your priorities.
