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Social Media and Job Hunting – 3 Tips for Success

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If you’re considering a career change, social media can be a wonderful tool to help you find opportunities and introductions not easily available in your day-to-day life. At the same time, these tools can cut the other way, if not used properly.

For example, if you think the picture above is a great way to show potential employers your “fun” or “interesting” side, think again. It’s important to be judicious in how you use social platforms, while also understanding how potential employers may use them to recruit or screen applicants. This is essential to improving–not hurting–your odds of getting the job with the help of social media.

With that in mind, here are three critical–yet simple–things to consider when job hunting with social media.

Leverage information to your benefit

Profiles for hiring managers and corporations on sites such as LinkedIn and GlassDoor can help you immeasurably. You’re able to see people you may know in common, better understand the corporate culture of a potential employer, and even see what former employees have to say about the organization. This information puts you in a position to make sure this is somewhere you’d really like to work, in addition to providing you a great opportunity to ask more insightful questions during the hiring process.

Be committed, but don’t overcommit

Rather trying to keep several social profiles up to date and relevant, focus on one or two that you know can help you convey your personality and professionalism. Having a smaller number of current and relevant profiles is much more impressive to potential employers. It gives them a chance to see what’s important to you and how you choose to interact with others in this type of environment.

For instance, LinkedIn is widely seen as the “professional” social network. Investing time on this platform will likely benefit you more in the job search than, say, Snapchat. Also look for platforms that integrate with one another. This will allow you to effectively double your social presence with each post you make. Instagram and Facebook are two examples.

Be smart with social media

This should go without saying, but make sure the images you have tied to your profiles are professional and appropriate. While you may love a certain movie character, entertainer or sports team, setting those types of images for your profile may turn off potential employers. And, of course, be sure to take down any embarrassing or incriminating images/posts that may possibly be viewed by potential employers.

You may never be told, but the fact is many hiring teams do actively look at social profiles for candidates and may choose to hold certain things against you. Take the time to look at your profiles to make sure anything there can only help you. Alternatively, adjust you privacy settings to ensure that only your trusted circle of friends can see your fun “yolo” posts.

Being connected and having so much information at your disposal offers great opportunities. Take advantage of these opportunities and protect yourself at the same time.

ExactHire’s offers social recruiting tools within its HireCentric applicant tracking software. For more information, please visit our resources section or contact us today.

Image credit: San Diego Comic-Con International 2012: Facebooking by Kevin Dooley (contact)

Let’s Have a Laugh: Applicant #LOL

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Laughter, like coffee or wine, is best when shared with friends. So let us share these chuckles with one another. #LOL

We have all seen at least one resume, applicant, or cover letter come across our path that leaves us unsure of whether we should be appalled, reach out to help the person…or just laugh. If this has not yet happened to you and you are in a role or industry where you deal with resumes, applicants, and cover letters on a regular basis, it will soon.

Some of my favorite cover letter chuckles.

“I look forward to hearin from ya.”
Oh yes. At first I thought maybe this person simply forgot the “g.” Maybe the applicant was typing too fast? But then when I read the “ya” for you, I realized the applicant was typing as s/he speaks. Bless her/his heart. That is all I could think.

“I am qualified.”
You have got it…that was the entire cover letter. Are you intrigued yet?

There was one cover letter that came through with the closing of, “Needing employment. Much appreciated.”
I thought his/her directness was appreciated. Granted, the majority of the cover letter was actually nicely written…so by the time I read the closing, I was a bit biased.

“please reply back asap. thank u so much & have a great day.”
I personally happen to despise the term “ASAP”. That does not give me a definite deadline to work against and your ASAP might not be the same as mine. But putting that aside, when did texting language become acceptable formal writing language?

Here is another one that has just appeared in my inbox, “In attachment pls find my latest…”
As Michelle Tanner from Full House would say, “Puh-lease!!!!”

So What if Grammar Ain’t My Forte?

There are the standard grammar issues: there vs they’re vs their, your vs you’re, two vs to vs too. These make me roll my eyes, but depending upon the position for which the applicant is applying, I may or may not focus too much on it.

The grammar mistakes that stop me in my tracks are passed vs past, then vs than, wonder vs wander, plane vs plain. The problem is that I read the sentence the way it is written and that takes on an entirely different meaning than the meaning intended. “Some people see me as a plane Jane.” No, I can assure you that no one sees you as a Jane flying through the air like a big hunk of metal.

While all of this makes me laugh, it does bring up a good question:
How much do grammar gaffes (and other instances of Twitter-fied vernacular) affect your applicant screening process?

Then, how much does it vary by position? Clearly, many people are responding to job listings on some sort of mobile device (or at least I hope so since they are using text shorthand.) Should I go so far as to ask applicants to pick the proper usage of a word in a sentence as part of my screening questions? Of course I make these mistakes occasionally, too. It is possible that the person was having an “off” day? Should I add instructions around my cover letter area reminding the applicant that this is considered a formal document where formal language is expected?

What kinds of interesting and/or amusing comments have you come across in cover letters, resumes or interviews? Please share them below in the comments area! We could all use a good laugh now and then.