What To Do
Employers are looking for specific qualities on social media sites. And they aren't keeping it a secret. There are a few things job hunters need to heed to while scouting for positions in regards to their social media profiles.
According to an article from The Next Web, employers are looking for five things.
They want to see a candidate present himself/herself professionally, see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture, learn more about their qualifications, and to see if they are well-rounded. According to the article, only 12 percent said they use it as a means for looking for reasons to not hire the candidate.
Because social media has had a negative impact in the past, with employees chances decreasing due to employers finding out truth about their qualifications, etc., there must be extra effort on the part of the candidate to offer what the employer is looking for through sites in order for these screenings to not hinder the chance of being hired.
One must use these sites to show off their personality, offer a wide range of interests, and display creativity. Employers even noted through these studies that other people's recommendations online made a difference.
“Because social media is a dominant form of communication today, you can certainly learn a lot about a person by viewing their public, online personas," Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder human resources vice president, said. "However, hiring managers and human resources departments have to make a careful, determined decision as to whether information found online is relevant to the candidates’ qualifications for the job.”
Some things to note:
According to an article by the Arkansas State University Herald, the paper resume is dead. Employers are now taking to social media much more aggressively for the job search.
Rebecca Oliver, director of the honors college, had some words of advice for college-aged students.
“If you are using Facebook as a vehicle for communicating with other people, you have to be careful,” Oliver said. “Pay attention to what your friends are saying, tagging and commenting, because that is a reflection on you too.”
Make sure to take down inappropriate photos of yourself, untag yourself, or don't put those photos online to begin with. Don't use social media to vent, especially not about bosses or your workplace. Use social media to give yourself a presence online, but don't use it as a platform to attack and argue with others over beliefs and opinions, especially if they could come across negatively to an organization or business you want to be involved with.
By keeping these things in mind, and using your best judgment your profiles should only help you receive your dream job, rather than hurting your chances of receiving an offer.
According to an article from The Next Web, employers are looking for five things.
They want to see a candidate present himself/herself professionally, see if the candidate is a good fit for the company culture, learn more about their qualifications, and to see if they are well-rounded. According to the article, only 12 percent said they use it as a means for looking for reasons to not hire the candidate.
Because social media has had a negative impact in the past, with employees chances decreasing due to employers finding out truth about their qualifications, etc., there must be extra effort on the part of the candidate to offer what the employer is looking for through sites in order for these screenings to not hinder the chance of being hired.
One must use these sites to show off their personality, offer a wide range of interests, and display creativity. Employers even noted through these studies that other people's recommendations online made a difference.
“Because social media is a dominant form of communication today, you can certainly learn a lot about a person by viewing their public, online personas," Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder human resources vice president, said. "However, hiring managers and human resources departments have to make a careful, determined decision as to whether information found online is relevant to the candidates’ qualifications for the job.”
Some things to note:
According to an article by the Arkansas State University Herald, the paper resume is dead. Employers are now taking to social media much more aggressively for the job search.
Rebecca Oliver, director of the honors college, had some words of advice for college-aged students.
“If you are using Facebook as a vehicle for communicating with other people, you have to be careful,” Oliver said. “Pay attention to what your friends are saying, tagging and commenting, because that is a reflection on you too.”
Make sure to take down inappropriate photos of yourself, untag yourself, or don't put those photos online to begin with. Don't use social media to vent, especially not about bosses or your workplace. Use social media to give yourself a presence online, but don't use it as a platform to attack and argue with others over beliefs and opinions, especially if they could come across negatively to an organization or business you want to be involved with.
By keeping these things in mind, and using your best judgment your profiles should only help you receive your dream job, rather than hurting your chances of receiving an offer.