Social media is larger today than it has ever been in the past, thanks to the explosion in the use of the internet. But with the internet and social linking growing exponentially, what does this exactly mean for job seekers in today’s market? Job applicants should certainly be asking themselves the question “do my social networking ties negatively impact my job eligibility?” If that is the case then what can I do to protect myself from being disqualified from the applicant process.
Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin are amazing tools to keep in touch with your friends personal lives and their day to day antics. However, an applicants day to day antics may not be what job recruiters want to hear. It is now commonplace for recruiters to examine an applicants Facebook page to see what really goes on behind the scenes to verify if how they present themselves in person is really what checks out in their personal lives. Likewise it could be beneficial for job seekers of particular and specific skills. Facebook, as an example, serves as a portfolio for recruiters to skim through and examine the persons ability and should serve to hasten the process of the interview process as the recruiter has already reviewed examples of their skillsets..
In conclusion, social media conventions both serve as a curse and a blessing to job seekers. It is advised that if an applicant had skeletons in their closet that they wished to keep behind closed doors, that they set their social media settings to private and in that way those skeletons can be kept away from scrupulous eyes.
So once again I have to make the point that your Social Media persona does influence your career and must mirror to some degree your professional persona if you want to succeed in your career choices …..unless as pointed out above you get your settings right!!!
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