The Appropriate Use Of Social Media

By Joe Issid
Monster Contributing Writer

When looking for a job in today’s market, all seekers need to be aware of one crucial fact: any company that is seriously looking at your profile will Google you. Any hiring manager worth his/her salt will take a few minutes and perform a web search to see what information they can find about you. Not only are they looking for information that can corroborate the details found on your resume, they are looking for online profiles and accounts to see what kind of person you are both professionally and socially. And any serious and intelligent job seeker will make sure that nothing untoward or incriminating can be found.

With social networks barnstorming the internet, it has become increasingly difficult to remain entirely anonymous these days. In fact, the openness of the internet has allowed information to be shared like never before. As such, any detail that is shared online can leave a footprint that can remain for years. While much of our conversations on networks such as twitter and Facebook are innocuous and for personal communication, they can become part of the public domain and visible to anyone who looks for it. And, for many, this can pose potential problems when it comes time to look for a job.

Audit yourself

Before applying for any jobs, take the time and perform a personal web audit and see what information about you arises. You may be surprised at what you find. If you discover some photos of yourself playing a spirited game of beer pong in Cancun, you may want to adjust the privacy settings so that a potential employer doesn’t come across it. Additionally, you need to be sure that the information you publish about yourself online matches the details in your resume. Ideally, you want to be sure that you are painting a consistent – and reputable – picture of yourself. Delete – or hide – anything that does not conform to that.

Create a professional profile

Even if you aren’t looking for a new job or don’t intend on using social media as a means of finding a job, you need to be aware of the fact that people might be looking for you. Setting up an account with prominent professional social media networks will have a prominent effect on your online persona. Countless doors can be opened if people can easily find you and the skill set that you possess. Additionally, these sites have a lot of ‘clout’ on the web and rank highly when searched. This is preferable to the aforementioned beer pong pic.

Show and tell

If you are, say, a frequent user of twitter, you need to keep in mind that your entire tweet history is searchable. If you have a propensity to discuss overly personal matters on twitter, you need to be aware that a potential employer can discover them. Additionally, Google indexes tweets so simply deleting a message from your twitter account may not necessarily prevent it from being found. You need to be aware that posting messages to the internet may have a consequence somewhere down the road.

Be discreet

If you are unhappy at your job, it is best not to post negative comments about it online. Do a quick twitter search for the term “I hate my job” and take a look at the results. If an employer came across these types of messages that you posted, you are assured of being dismissed as a candidate. No matter how frustrated or upset you may be, always think twice before posting to the internet. You surely would not want a momentary wave of frustration jeopardise your current – and potentially future – job.

Be proactive

If you are interested in applying for a job at a particular company, it is always a good idea to scope out their social media presence and to ‘like’ or follow their channels. This will not only keep you informed about their business but it will also demonstrate your interest in working for them; be sure to casually mention this during any conversations with the employer. You’ll be surprised at how receptive most companies are to discover that you actively follow them.

Social media is certainly changing the job search landscape and with these changes come new protocols that employers like to follow. Rather than don a new suit and go knocking on doors, we are able to reach potential employers via smart phones from halfway across the world.

While this freedom does bring many conveniences, we must not forget how to handle ourselves - both personally and professionally.