How Social Media Profile Can Make or Break Your Career

Saige Driver, Businessnewsdaily Viewed 313 Times Viewed by 207 People

The lack of skilled IT workers is hurting the deployment of emerging technology, according to a new survey from Gartner. In areas from cloud to cybersecurity, this crisis is expected to last for years to come.

According to a 2018 CareerBuilder survey, 70 percent of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process, and about 43 percent of employers use social media to check on current employees.

Managers look at social media accounts for an array of reasons, but many employers want to make sure a candidate will be a good fit with their company.

"Because we tend to view our personal social media accounts as being 'personal,' there's a good chance that by viewing someone's profile, you'll get a glimpse into their personality beyond the resume," said DeeAnn Sims, founder of SPBX.

Don't erase your entire profile

While the fear of something embarrassing or negative being discovered might tempt some job candidates to completely erase their online persona, employers say that strategy can backfire.

About half of employers, 47 percent said they wouldn't call a person for an interview if they can't find them online. More than a quarter of employers say it's because they like to gather more information before calling a candidate, and 20 percent say it's because they expect candidates to have an online presence.

"Whether it's intentional or not, this [not having a profile] always feels like you have something to hide," said Sims. "Either you've specifically taken steps to make sure you can't be found, or you're using a childish byname neither of which feels very professional."

Use social media to your benefit

Despite what job candidates might think, most employers aren't scouring the internet looking for reasons not to hire them. Most employers are looking for reasons to hire someone.

The CareerBuilder study found that according to employers who use social networking sites to research potential job candidates;

• 58 percent look for Information supporting a candidate's qualifications for the job,
• 50 percent want to ensure the candidate has a professional online persona,
• 34 percent want to see what other people are posting about the candidate, and
• Just 22 percent search for reasons not to hire someone.

Having their social media pages investigated has paid off for many job seekers. Specifically, 37 percent of hiring managers said they found information supporting the candidate's professional qualifications, and 33 percent were impressed with their professional image. Additionally, 34 percent thought a candidate displayed excellent creativity.

What to avoid on social media

While they might not be searching for anything negative, more than half of those surveyed (57 percent) said they have found something during their social screenings that led them to not hire someone. According to the survey, these are the leading types of posts and behavior that left employers with a bad impression:

• "Job candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs, videos or information: 40 percent
• Job candidate posted information about them drinking or using drugs: 36 percent
• Job candidate had discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion, etc.: 31 percent
• Job candidate was linked to criminal behavior: 30 percent
• Job candidate lied about qualifications: 27 percent
• Job candidate had poor communication skills: 27 percent
• Job candidate bad-mouthed their previous company or fellow employee: 25 percent
• Job candidate's screen name was unprofessional: 22 percent
• Job candidate shared confidential information from previous employers: 20 percent
• Job candidate lied about an absence: 16 percent
• Job candidate posted too frequently: 12 percent"

On the other hand, those that found content that led them to hire a candidate said it was because they saw:

• Job candidate's background information supported their professional qualifications for the job: 37 percent
• Job candidate was creative: 34 percent
• Job candidate's site conveyed a professional image: 33 percent
• Job candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests: 31 percent
• Got a good feel for the job candidate's personality, could see a good fit within the company culture: 31 percent
• Job candidate had great communications skills: 28 percent
• Job candidate received awards and accolades: 26 percent
• Other people posted great references about the job candidate: 23 percent
• Job candidate had interacted with company's social media accounts: 22 percent
• Job candidate posted compelling video or other content: 21 percent
• Job candidate had a large number of followers or subscribers: 18 percent

Professionals shouldn't ease up on ensuring their online presence is a positive one once they land a job. The study found that 48 percent of employers use social networking sites to research current employees. Of those, 34 percent have found content that caused them to discipline or even fire an employee.

The study was based on surveys of more than 1,000 hiring managers and human resource professionals across a variety of industries and company sizes in the private sector.

Comments:(0)