Social Media

In our digital world, we need to be aware of what we say, post, like, tweet, view, and subscribe to online. With one click, our entire lives can change. Many people fail to realize how potentially damaging social media can be to their employment status or, on the flip side, how many opportunities we can be presented with simply by modifying a couple of words on our social media profiles.

Conduct a Social Media Review

Before considering how social media can be used during your job search, it is important to see what is out there about you online. To begin evaluating what potential employers may uncover, conduct a simple Google search of your name. Then, go through each social media account and critically evaluate what you find. Is it professional? Would you hire someone like you based on what you see?

If you see information that should be deleted or changed, take the opportunity to remove anything questionable or offensive. This includes photos, videos, group affiliations, likes, or dislikes. Your online persona should present the right mix of who you are as a person and who you will be as an employee.

It is important not to underestimate the power of social media to highlight your skills, give employers a peek into your personality, and land you a job. And be authentic! In today’s competitive job search environment, it will give you a huge edge over the competition (Castrillon, 2021).

In a survey of recruiters and hiring managers conducted by LiveCareer (Cekala, 2021), 80% of recruiters and hiring managers screen candidates through social media prior to hiring. 62% use social media to get an idea about a candidate and their personal life, and 57% check to see if someone seems to be a good fit for the company culture. For a more detailed report of the way recruiters and potential employees are using social media, review Surprising Social Media Recruiting Statistics from Apollo Technical Studies.

LinkedIn

One of the best platforms to use to maintain your personal brand is LinkedIn. If you do not have a LinkedIn account, create one. A LinkedIn profile has become at least as important as your resume for opening career doors (Ryan, 2021)

Professional Organizations and Groups

In addition to connecting with individuals on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, showing you are connected to various national and international organizations can further demonstrate your commitment to the field. We’ll look briefly at how to incorporate professional organizations and groups into your network.

Begin by researching individuals you know as well as industry leaders in your field and making a note of the professional groups and organizations to which they belong. If you aren’t already affiliated with these groups, like them on social media, follow their posts, and when appropriate, insert yourself into the conversation members are engaged in on social media. This will help to build your network and can lead to potential employment opportunities.

Many groups have blogs, and a presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and other social media platforms to which you can contribute and follow. Professional groups and organizations offer a great resource for mentor opportunities, internships, while also helping to build your resume and professional contacts.

We discussed your personal brand earlier in the chapter. Now that you have a better understanding of what a personal brand is and how it can affect your social media. Speculate about ways you can use social media to maintain that brand. Does your current brand on social media show your future career goals and aspirations? You want your brand to be consistent across all social media platforms. Your interests, affiliations, personality, and goals need to be included. Redesign, refine, and adjust as needed.

In this chapter, we have examined ways to manage your career. You now have a better appreciation for what you need to do to create your own personal brand, network on social media, and how to critique your online persona. We have looked at the career dynamics and how the pandemic has changed the way we are interviewing for jobs. We have also reviewed the styles, formats, functions, and areas of the resume and cover letter and how important they are to the job search.

We’ll continue to see the way we find work and the jobs we find ourselves in change in the future. However, what is not likely to change is the need to effectively communicate our skills, achievements, and desire for an opportunity. We should always be prepared to deliver results in both our written and oral communication in all aspects of career management.