Social Media. It's something that has changed the way we all search for jobs but a word of caution, it's worth remembering that prospective employers can and do utilise the powers of Google to look at candidates - 'Your first impression isn't made with a firm handshake - it's with a Google search' (Dan Scawbel, author of Me 2.0). This week I had forwarded a number of CVs to a client and the first thing he did was to check them all out on Twitter - the role was for a Content and Social Media role so it was particularly important for him to see how the candidates represented themselves (their own brand) on social media. Two candidates were rejected outright for having Twitter feeds that were nothing more than rants and negative comments. I was honest in giving them feedback - I'm finding more and more that clients are looking people up before they invite to interview so this needs to be considered when you're posting that picture of you on a pub crawl, quaffing cocktails on holiday or ranting about a rubbish day at work. Here's some tips on how to keep your virtual self, virtuous:
Choose which of your platforms you want to be public. If you're the sort of person who invites everyone you meet to be a Facebook friend, then you need to exercise caution. If you've already kept it small and you're on top of your privacy settings then, you just need to use common sense!
Go through your social media sites. Clean them up. Take off any complaints about your boss, any confidential information, and any photos that could be construed as inappropriate. Do this too for any photo sharing services.
Start a blog. It's good for prospective employers to see that you're up to speed with technology, in the know and well connected but also passionate about something. It doesn't even need to be industry specific but it can help. I recently found a graduate a job - he had absolutely no work experience, but he'd been writing a blog about advertising for the last 12 months. It was insightful and intelligent - it showed he loved the industry. Clients loved it.
Don't share anything you wouldn't want an employer to discover about you. Obvious.
Linked In. One of the most important social media sites for job hunting. It's typically the first port of call for recruiters and employers. Make sure you've got a good photo (no beers in hand, no bikinis, no raving). Try to secure recommendations from previous employers and colleagues.
Never lie. We all know most people exaggerate on social media - (often when I meet a candidate, I can't actually reconcile them to their Twitter feeds....). Keep it real and remember these things come back to haunt you.
Keep job news offline. Don't start posting news about your new job until you've spoken to your employer and employer to be. People have been fired for this. Stick to spreading your good fortune in person.
Mostly it's all about common sense. It's essential in our industry to have an online presence, but it's essential to that your online reputation is a good one and not one that's going to shoot you in the foot.