Your “Social Life” Can Help Land You a Job

By Stephanie Mosedale

Your social media profile is out there for the world to see. That includes recruiters, hiring managers….and your mom.

In fact, according to Jobvite’s Annual Social Recruiting Survey report, 92 percent of companies admit to using social media for recruiting and three out of four hiring managers and recruiters check a candidate’s social profile. So, having a “social life” is a smart way to help you land a great job.

Resumes and cover letters are important, but they don’t necessarily convey whether or not you would be a good fit for a particular company. But, lucky for you, social media can! Consider it the perfect opportunity to showcase your personality, interests and values.

Here are three tips to help you face the working world, socially speaking:

• Do your own social inventory. How does the rest of the world see you? It’s time to “Google” yourself. Note: If you have locked down your privacy settings so tightly that you cannot be found outside of your friends, you may be sending a message to your future employer that you have something to hide. For this reason, it’s beneficial to create a separate social profile that reflects your career goals.

• Clean up your act. If you prefer to use only one social profile, think about doing a little “social spring cleaning.” Make sure you set limitations on what can be posted on your walls and who can tag you. Wipe out spelling and grammar errors, get rid of posts that you wouldn’t want to share in an interview and make sure your personal information is accurate and up-to-date.

• Brand yourself. Your social profile is a great sales tool! Consider this your first interview! Make sure your pictures, posts, likes and follows all position you in the very best light.

For more tips on landing a great job, visit www.careersourcebrevard.com.

Stephanie Mosedale is the public relations specialist at CareerSource Brevard, a regional public/private partnership and part of a statewide network of 24 regions, known as CareerSource Florida. www.careersourcebrevard.com.