Think your status updates, tweets and pins are for the eyes of friends and family only? Think again.
According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder, the number of employers taking to the web to research applicants before offering interviews has been steadily increasing- from 39% of employers in 2013, to 43% in 2014 and 52% in 2015.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Employers Are Looking You Up On Social Media
Why?
Consider the risk of taking on someone new.
YOU know that you're a rock star when it comes to your work, but what about a company that doesn't know you? How can they be assured that you're not a flake, or don't hold highly controversial viewpoints, or simply won't mesh well with their existing culture?
That's where social media snooping comes into play.
Rather than deleting your accounts and "going off the grid" let's understand WHAT employers are looking for so that we can project the right image and control vulnerabilities.
1. To Identify Red Flags
I can't stress this enough: social media engagement works from a place of positivity, not trolling. How critical are you of others? Have you been sharing politically or religiously sensitive material? These are all potential red flags to be aware of.
Some other things employers commonly look for:
Mismatch between what's communicated on someone's resume and their social media accounts.
Bullying behavior, negative comments about others.
Badmouthing former employers and co-workers. This is a HUGE turn-off.
Evidence of drug use, stealing, and other fireable offenses.
Disclosure of confidential information about customers or clients. If you're a healthcare provider who is chatting about people you treat in violation of HIPAA laws, that's a huge no-no.
Countermeasure: Scrape any offending material from your social media accounts ASAP.
2. To Gauge Communication Skills
Excellent writing skills are one of the most valued attributes a professional can bring to the table, at all seniority levels.
Here are a few things employers will be on the lookout for:
When you share updates and posts, how clearly do you communicate the points you're trying to make? If you're talking about your industry, do you instantly show expertise?
Do you use proper spelling, grammar, punctuation?
Can you engage in exchanges that inspire thought, interest, and engagement?
Countermeasure: Take a little extra time before posting to do a “final pass” on what you’ve written for quality.
3. To Identify Your True Ambitions
Employers aren't dumb: OF COURSE you'll tell them that the job in question is a perfect fit and the sum total of your ambitions. But what do you REALLY feel? Will this job be just another paycheck?
Here are some elements they look out for:
What's your footprint within the industry? Are you connected with major influencers and/or have a following going? This lends greater credibility.
What companies are you following on Twitter, LinkedIn and other professional sites? If you're following a lot of companies in the San Diego region, that can tell an employer that you're highly motivated to find something in that region. Similarly, if there are a lot of companies within a certain niche, that can tell an employer that you have a specialized interest in that direction.
Countermeasure: Do a Twitter “follow campaign” where you follow at least 25-50 leaders in your industry. Join well-known industry organizations and groups with a strong Internet footprint (bonus points for organizations which list member profiles on their site). Closely track which companies you're following on LinkedIn to make sure there are no surprises.
4. To Evaluate Culture Fit
What's your "voice"? If you want to work for a disruptive tech startup and your tone on social media is one of questioning the status quo, that could signal strong cultural fit. The opposite is also true: if you want to work for a staid company with conservative values, and your voice seems to go against that, it might be a warning sign of things not matching up.
Countermeasure: Do what feels authentic to you. If you can show how your engaging on social media is an extension of who you are (and what you’re bringing to the table), then the right companies will see it for the value-add it is. Notice I said the right companies. If there’s a big mismatch between the companies you’re targeting and how you engage, ask yourself: is this really the right move to make?
5. To Gauge Value
Are you consistently coming up with original material that showcases your talents? If you’re creative, do you have an amazing Pinterest or Tumblr going? Do you have a blog on a site like Medium that shares your unique perspective on the industry or some other professional aspect? This can significantly increase your perceived worth in the eyes of employers.
Countermeasure: Shoot for an 80/20 ratio when it come to original content. For every eight things you share or comment on based on other people's work, add at least two pieces of original content into the mix.
Anish Majumdar, CEO of ResumeOrbit.com is a nationally recognized executive resume writer, LinkedIn expert, and interview coach. Surveyed clients report a 40-60% reduction in placement times through working with him, and typically secure offers at least $10-40K higher. Schedule a free LIVE Resume Critique with Anish, or connect with him on LinkedIn.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.