93% of recruiters will check out your social media profile before considering you for a position…
So what will they find?
A professional, friendly and intelligent profile? Or an abysmal display of a sin and debauchery?
If the latter rings true, then it’s definitely time to sort it out!
Work your way through our list below and purge your profiles as you go… (Ooh, that rhymed).
1. NO Swearing.
I don’t really understand why some people feel the need to swear when they get their photo taken and/or use atrocious, offensive language on status updates, posts and Tweets etc.
Is it because it’s “cool..?”
As far as I’m concerned, it’s unnecessary and makes you look immature and unprofessional.
2. NO Nakedness.
Put it (all) away.
Daring to bear on social media (be it bum, boob or other) is guaranteed to put (most) recruiters off.
It’s hardly the professional and sophisticated look that they’ll be hoping for and would you really want to work with someone who’s seen pretty much everything, anyway?
3. NO Excessive Drunkenness.
It’s fine to like a wee drink from time-to-time but is it really appropriate for a potential employer to see photos of you, stumbling down the stairs, half-dressed, with a half-bottle of vodka in your hand?
Cleanse your profile of all those “hilarious” drunken snaps (yes, even the ones from way-back-when).
4. NO moaning.
This one’s a BIG issue on Facebook.
You probably have a “friend” who’s angry, emotional and downright annoying statuses pop up every single day, in a savage attempt to bring down everyone else’s mood.
Or is that person you?
Stop - no one wants to hire a negative Nellie, so cut the oh-so-sad updates and keep things light, optimistic and breezy.
5. NO Bragging About Illegal Activities.
For obvious reasons, this is an absolute no-go.
I’m not going to judge you for what you do in your spare time – but a potential employer will!
(Sounds obvious, I know, but you'd be surprised how many people post photos and statuses bragging about drugs, vandalism and other illegal activities).
6. NO Lazy Mistakes.
If you’re going to be active on social media, at least make a little effort.
Grammatical errors, bad spelling and incorrect punctuation will drive (some) people (including me) mad (it’s just embarrassing…)
If you can’t do it right, it’s better to just not do it at all.
7. NO Bitching About Work.
This should be self-explanatory, but if you must moan, then don’t bring up your past or current bosses, colleagues and/or company.
(Yes, even if your boss is the most-annoying, frustrating, idiotic little d*ck out there).
Keep it to yourself or recruiters will think you’re negative and a possible trouble maker.
8. NO Offensive Posts.
To be honest, I’d hold back from posting anything that could be seen as remotely controversial on social media (especially if it could be interpreted as prejudiced).
You don’t know who you’re going to offend and the internet NEVER forgets.
9. NO Posting At Work.
If you’re currently looking for a job, it’s probably a good idea NOT to post on social media continuously throughout the day (unless that’s your role).
(Savvy) Potential employers are bound to notice and wonder why you’ve been procrastinating all day.
Also, it's probably (definitely) not a good idea to brag about how hungover you are - whilst in work...
10. But NO Ignoring It Altogether!
Social media-phobe? Don’t think you’re getting off that easily…
Recruiters could actually get put off if they can’t find you online! Especially if they have a big list of candidates and are looking for excuses to cut people from the list.
Recruiter Pro Tip 93% of recruiters will use it to screen and assess their applicants and it can look a bit old-fashioned, paranoid and fishy if you don’t have a profile. And it can also help you to find a job! Check out these posts for some advice:
- How To Find A Job On Facebook
- How to find your next job using Twitter
- 5 Steps To Get a Job On Instagram
- 12 Rookie Mistakes You’re Making on LinkedIn (Probably)
- How To Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to Find a Job
Use it to your advantage! Instead of shying away from it.
It’s time to embrace social media!
So In Summary…
…don’t be an idiot on social media! (Click here to see some hilarious examples of what NOT to do).
Seriously though, these 10 things can really (really) put a recruiter off considering you for a role – especially if they have a lot of other candidates applying, minus the dodgy profile!
Heads up: they won’t just look at your LinkedIn! Chances are they’ll also check Twitter, Instagram and Facebook too.
If you’d like some more advice on how (and how not to) sabotage your job search – click here – to subscribe to our blog. We’ll send over a quick weekly email with the latest!
Hope you found this post useful.
