On the hunt for a new job in Columbus, OH?
The good news is that there are many great career opportunities in this region; the bad news is that your social media profiles are sending the wrong message to recruiters.
Before developing a great resume and heading into a focused job search, one of the steps that candidates often make is forgetting to clean up their social media profiles. While this may seem like the last place that recruiters will be checking, the truth is that a growing majority of hiring managers regularly check the social media profiles of candidates before contacting them for an interview. A JobVite survey indicates that 93 percent of hiring managers will view a candidate’s profile in making hiring decisions. According to an article on Business Insider, recruiters look for the following things when evaluating candidate social media profiles:
- What you post – Recruiters want to learn more about the thought processes behind every post, and they watch out for rogue and offensive posts.
- Who you know – Recruiters want to find out who you know and most importantly, if you are someone who is ready to step up your game by being well-connected with industry leaders.
- What Your Image Says – How you present yourself to the rest of the world has a strong bearing on what recruiters and others may think of you.
As early as possible in your job search, you will want to take some time to make sure your social media profiles are “squeaky clean” by following the below tips.
Remove any and all offensive imagery and posts
While these are forever archived on most social media servers, you can clean up your profile and hide such things from others in the live feed. Take down potentially offensive language, images, and posts now. For example, remove those embarrassing photos of that wild party you went to and forgot where you left your clothes.
Review the posts of your social connections
Don’t just stop at the posts you’ve personally made on your social media profiles. Also, take a look at the posts left by friends and family members, and even group cause administrators. If they could be considered offensive or over-the-top, change your social media settings so they are not allowed to post updates to your page.
Update profile with professional information and images
Your next step is to improve your social profiles with a more professional look for your job search. Drop in a nice head shot photo of you in business attire, connect with some thought leaders in your industry, and start sharing content and posts of relevancy to your career path.
By following the above three tips, you will be well on your way to a more effective job search and you won’t let a social media profile get in your way.
Looking for additional job search support?
View our current available positions in Painesville, Ohio. Contact the experienced team of recruiters at Vector Technical, Inc. for support in your job search.
