When you decide to apply for a job, you usually research the company, wouldn’t you? Well, they can just as easily research you – and, according to a Jobsite Social Recruiting Survey, 93% of recruiters do! You should improve your online presence when applying for jobs.
Because if you know that recruiters may be browsing through your Facebook or Twitter feeds. Is there anything you wouldn’t want your potential boss to see? So you need to find ways to improve your online presence when applying for jobs. It makes you stand out, but also look prepared and professional.
Follow these 5 ways to improve your online presence when applying for your jobs!
1. Be aware of your online presence
Google yourself! What comes up when you search your full name on Google? You may be lucky and have a very common name (think John Smith) – in this case, it will be nearly impossible for your potential new employer to find you online, however, still follow the steps below just to be safe.
If you have a (more uncommon) less common name, Google will usually be able to find the following:
- Your social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn),
- Any images of you that may be online,
- Any news articles that have been written about you.
Once you’ve Googled yourself, find someone who you aren’t friends with on any social media (easier said than done!) Then ask this person to click through your social media pages to see what they can see. Can they see every single picture, post, and share on your Facebook page? If so, you may want to reconsider your privacy settings.
2. Take control of your privacy settings
All social media platforms allow you to change your privacy settings. Meaning you can control what can be seen by friends only and what can be seen by the whole world. Before applying for your dream job, ensure you have checked your privacy settings on all your social media accounts, and decided what you do and don’t want your potential new employers to see.
3. Project yourself in the best light
As well as being able to hide your social media posts from your potential new boss, you can also choose what they DO see. Use this to your advantage when applying for jobs, by making sure you shout about your achievements online – tell your Facebook friends about that First Aid course you just passed with a nice picture of you holding your certificate! Don’t forget to make posts like this public, so when looking through your Facebook page, your potential new boss will be impressed!
Make sure you also update your profiles to show who you are (well, how you want to be perceived) – from how you describe yourself in your bio, to the kinds of movies you watch and books you read, the groups you belong to and the pages you follow.
Consider adding:
- A bio that describes yourself in a good, professional, positive and friendly way.
- Content that projects a professional image (a profile picture of you in your best suit!).
- Follow and like groups/pages that show you have a range of hobbies and interests.
4. Clean up your social media
Even if your pages are as private as possible, it is still best to delete old posts/pictures that you wouldn’t want potential employers to see. To improve your online presence, have a think about these things.
Consider deleting things like:
- Inappropriate photographs and videos
- Posts that relate to drinking or illegal behaviour
- Discriminatory comments (race, religion, gender, etc.)
- Posts moaning about a previous employer, or any posts that are just generally grumpy or unkind
5. Don’t let your email address ruin your chances!
The final tip to improve your online presence when applying for jobs, is to make sure your email address is appropriate! Your email address will be at the top of your CV, and probably the second thing your potential employer reads after your name. Your first contact will most probably be via email, so it really is such an important part of your online presence.
Ideally, your email address should be your first name and your last name (maybe some punctuation and numbers if needed). Try to avoid anything along the lines of: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]!
Did you find these 5 ways to improve your online presence when applying for jobs helpful? Great! So now that you have made sure that your online presence shows you in the best light possible, go ahead and apply for your dream job! You can find all of our current vacancies here. Or if you would like to speak to us, why not drop us a line here so we can help you further.