In past blogs we have discussed the importance of candidates being more proactive when reviewing their digital and social profiles. The reason being - to ensure they are recruiter friendly and give you the best foot forward when applying for your dream role.
You may think – will a recruiter really take time to look at me on social media? They have so many applicants now, they probably won’t have time. However, the golden rule about publishing any content online – be it images, videos, comments, replies, likes and even who you are following online - you would be wise to think about it: always assume your current or future employer is looking at what you post and reading what you write.
We must remind ourselves that the recruitment process is two-way. In the same way you will be researching all you can on a dream role, likewise, an employer now has the opportunity to search you online and chances are, a social media page (or two) will pop up and lead them to you.
The key is to draw a line between your personal and professional personas. Depending on the nature of the job – it may sometimes be a good idea to have a well-managed and work friendly LinkedIn and Twitter account but a private Facebook and Instagram account. For example, if you’re applying for a marketing role, employers will be keen to see how you are participating online, how you build relationships, express your creativity and what added value you can bring to the company through your social media knowledge.
If the role is more sales led, then we would always advise to just having a well-managed LinkedIn account and keeping all other social media content private.
The Audit
At CHASE, we have a seven step guide we run past our candidates to ensure they are doing the best to promote themselves online but also protect their privacy and their chances of securing the job.
Is LinkedIn the exception?
We are often asked if LinkedIn is an exception to the rule.
LinkedIn started as a simple professional networking tool, but it is now actively used as a platform for companies to recruit from. Unlike other social media channels, it is designed for the corporate world which means having a killer profile and being active on LinkedIn can definitely give you a foot up or even lead you to jobs you may never have known about. Or if you have a well-managed account – recruiters and employers may even come direct to you about job openings.
However, more people are using LinkedIn now in a more informal way to get their personality across and stand out from the crowd – content you see on other social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram (which are generally considered more personal form of social media) can also be found on LinkedIn. However just because you liked and shared a post on your private Facebook page – doesn’t mean you should necessarily mimic that on LinkedIn.
In addition, it is probably one of the first channels that an employer will look at, because it is considered a professional networking platform. Therefore, we encourage candidates to do the same seven step audit with LinkedIn.
A digital audit doesn’t necessarily need to be a laborious task, indeed sometimes you may come across things which you forgot that could benefit your profile and even be added to the portfolio – such as an award win that you/your team achieved. If an audit is done well and done often, it will be a quick process and it will help you draw a line between your personal and professional personas. This will future proof your personal brand and ensure that your digital self doesn’t impede the real you in your job search.
Huw Nicholas
Executive Solutions Lead at CHASE