There are two sides to the internet; in fact it offers you two diametrically opposite worlds this holds especially true for many job-seekers. One world comprises of hanging out with various friends on social networks and the other focuses on a job search in all earnestness.
Avoid Social Media Mistakes
You got to avoid certain social media mistakes in your own best interest. Never leave your profile page open to strangers, now that you are conducting your job search, the first thing you need to do is set your personal profile to private right away, this ensures your personal information is visible to only those appearing in your friends list. Employers who are digging for information are excluded and it becomes all the more important, given the fact that any untoward information could result in your name being removed from candidacy.
Two Worlds Collide
If at all the two worlds collide, which they do for some people at some point, the result is a playful social media environment, this kind of a thing poses definite problems during a job search as most of the employer’s conduct a rigorous online research while determining a candidate’s eligibility. In the event you happen to be looking for a job these oversights could prove expensive as they might hinder the job seeking process for you like they have done for countless others in the past.
The Fine Line
Including your first and last names on your profiles is a tricky proposition. Certain sites like Facebook often make it difficult for you to use just any name other than your real one. While conducting a job search you certainly want to keep your personal as well as your job seeking life separate. Try and alter your name if possible, when this cannot be done, you may consider temporarily keeping these accounts dormant or deactivating them for a while, resuming the use when things get back to normal.
Be Professional
You may consider stopping posting information that is quite unprofessional as in this day and age–information is easy to find. Same is true of displaying unprofessional photos, at least the main profile picture which is public and the employer does not even have to be on your friends list to be able to view it. Consider displaying a professional picture , even a cartoonist avatar is a viable alternative.
Final Words
Be aware of the fact that a google search for your name conducted by an employer would return pictures associated with your profile on the first page itself. For this reason dissuade your friends from posting unprofessional comments. Refrain from tweeting about bad work behavior as it adversely affects your work ethic and hence the likelihood of hiring. Last but not the least refrain from bashing current or previous employers. Even a slight mistake in social media would derail the chances of your being hired. Ensure that your social networking as well as the job seeking world coexist peacefully and your professional life advances smoothly.
