Can social media affect your job search?
These days everybody is on social media. From Facebook to Instagram to Twitter, everybody has an online presence. Along with that people spend a major chunk of their time on some kind of social media. The ability of these apps and websites to keep one engaged for hours is extremely astounding. These apps are designed in such a way that it seems almost impossible for one to close the app. Social media is not just a part of our everyday life but it has become a way of living. Giving our updates has now become a necessity. It has become such an integral part that it also affects our job search. Here is how social media affect your job search.
There is no denying the fact that social media affects almost all aspects of our lives. And the same goes for job searches and interviews. Social media like Instagram and Twitter affect job search and interviews in various ways. And it is not only limited to Instagram and Twitter but our Facebook profiles and LinkedIn profiles can affect job interviews too.
How Usage of Social Media has changed over the years?
Social media are essentially sharing platforms. Initially, they were only used as entertainment sharing platforms, but now they’ve become a channel for the ‘young’ population to share career-related information. These days, employers and job seekers are both actively using these platforms to conduct their business. There are numerous companies or places of employment that post job listings on social media and actually consider people who reply to that post. Employers that use social media for recruitment purposes are able to target a broader market of potential candidates for their job positions.
“Social media is a primary vehicle of communication today, and because much of that communication is public, it’s no surprise some recruiters and hiring managers are tuning in,”- Rosemary Haefner, human resources at CareerBuilder.
Although one must remember that the use of social media in the whole process does not end here. While social media provides more opportunities, it also brings the candidate under stricter scrutiny which might reveal more than the candidate intended to. While you check out different companies or places of employment via their social media, it should not be a surprise that they too peruse your social media as a tool to investigate further about you.
How do employers use social media to screen potential candidates?
Employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates. They go through social media profiles to get a clearer insight into the candidate. Now, this may throw a wrench in the plans of people who believe that they can get away with lying in their interviews. Not only this, but employers perusing social media to investigate and gain insight might come across certain things about you that they might not like or disapprove of. But it is important to remember that employers do not actually look for bad things about candidates. On many occasions, they also come across something that might make them consider you for a job.
Therefore, it is important for everyone to have a clean and the best possible social media presence. There are various features available in these apps that help you regulate and control the activities on and about your social media page. Along with this, it is important that all your social media tell the same story. If your profile is somewhat public and can be accessed, then you must ensure that your persona remains the same throughout.
Reports suggest, that 34% of employers say social media sites have helped them decide whether or not to shortlist their applicants for specific job positions. Social media posts have allowed them to filter candidates based on the content of their online profiles. So it is of vital importance that job seeker maintain their conduct in social media because now, the recruitment process goes far beyond the old resume and interviews.
