Whether you agree with it or not, Social Media does have a place in hiring. For some employers, your Social Media activity will be just as important as your resume.
I’ll let you in on a few secrets; here’s exactly what employers are scoping out on your social media.
- References to illegal drugs. Sharing illegal activity is just plain dumb. Not only does it bring with it legal trouble it can prevent you from getting hired from reputable companies. If you’re using illegal drugs or supporting those activities you become a liability that most companies don’t want to risk taking a chance on. This will be an immediate disqualifier for most employers.
- Violence has no place in the workplace and companies, first and foremost, have a responsibility to keep others that work for them safe. If you have a history of violence, it’s time to clean up your act and seek help. If there is any doubt you have a tendency to be violent companies will not hire you; it’s too risky.
- Poor grammar and spelling. When asked, 66% of employers said they would eliminate a candidate for lacking these basic skills. Companies have expectations for high school basics and like to see that proof displayed publicly on your profile. If you’re on the job hunt you should be proofreading everything!
- Positive attitude. People enjoy being around people who are fun, happy and live life on a positive note. Trust me, they’ll notice if you’re a negative Nancy. No one wants to work with that guy.
- Charity work. Prospective employers think highly of candidates who volunteer or care about their community. Passion projects, charity work and volunteerism are wonderful ways to give back and excellent ways to stand out to employers.
Social media isn’t going away; you might as well embrace it. Look at your profile from the perspective of a potential employer and discover new ways to shine.
When on the job hunt I strongly recommend opening up your privacy settings so that employers are able to see your profile; they will appreciate the transparency and realize you have nothing to hide.
My motto for social media is “Be you but be smart”.