Recruiters Are Checking Your Social Media Accounts
It’s important to keep your social media accounts up to date, and not just for your family and friends. Turns out, recruiters are often turning to social media to get a more well-rounded image of potential candidates.
Social accounts can tell you a lot about someone – from how outgoing they are to their favorite past times. Plus, a social media account can reveal how active someone is in the world of digital networking, which can be very important depending on the type of job you are applying for.
Recruiters and potential employers aren’t just looking for robust LinkedIn accounts for either – they also want to see the entire array of social accounts up-to-date with your latest hobbies and activities. Plus, they want to see you have an active network that is continually growing.
While you may currently use your social media accounts to post pictures of your pets or meals, be aware that these accounts are your “brand” for any potential employers, and you want to give them an image of you that shows your personality, and also your work skills. It might be time to sprinkle in a new type of photo in your accounts.
Showing off photos depicting your ability to multi-task, or rally the troops, will be selling points for you in the eyes of future employers. Also, don’t shy away from showing your side-hustle or volunteer projects. These shouldn’t scare recruiters away, instead they should show that you are a hard worker, both during your main job, and outside if it.
Just like you can hire a professional to write you the perfect resume, you can hire seasoned social media professionals to look over your accounts and offer suggestions. These social experts can pair your account to the jobs you are going out for to ensure that you are telling a story that matches what each company is looking for. Plus, they might have past experience with certain companies, and know for sure what they are looking for.
Also, if you know that a recruiter could be on your social media accounts, you can talk to them about it in your interview. Don’t shy away from mentioning something you’ve posted about, and telling the recruiter they are welcome to do some sleuthing on your social media pages to get a better feel for your personality.
Being open and honest about your online presence and your “brand” can actually make you stand out in an interview process – especially if you reveal the different type of images you post to each social media platform and why. Revealing how you analyze data, metrics, and audience within your digital presence can show a potential employer how much attention to detail you will pay to their own brand.
Long story short, don’t hide your social media accounts, but do make sure they show you off the way you want to be seen. Take a look at the accounts that you have, and try to view them with a recruiters eye. Good luck!
