If you are currently applying for jobs, you need to sit back and take a second look at your social media. You may be wondering what your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account have to do with your job search. However, these social media sites offer a future employer all the information they need about your interests and your personality. And those two things matter more than you might think when it comes to searching for a job. Your social media presence can either make or break your search.
Don’t set all your social media accounts to private. This gives the impression that you have something to hide. Of course, this is different for different platforms. For example, you may want to keep your Facebook private and that is perfectly okay because many people do that. However, your Twitter and Instagram should be public because the majority of users keep these accounts open to anyone. But if you apply to work at the City of Cape Town through a Facebook friend, then you need to be careful because that friend can see everything you post.
Don’t complain about your current job or employer. Making statuses or tweeting about how much you hate your job or boss is a terrible idea in general, but when you’re applying for a job, it’s even worse. All a potential employer will see is that you are bitter and willing to show it. They may end up thinking that you will say the same things about them and the job at the City of Cape Town that you have applied for. Complaining about work online is tempting, but there could be terrible consequences.
Don’t go on controversial rants. You are entitled to your opinion, however, you may want to be careful about how you go about expressing that opinion when you’re applying for jobs. You don’t know what your future employer thinks about certain topics and you don’t want to end up offending them. Of course, no one can tell you what to think, so simply use your discretion. Just remember that you don’t always know who is monitoring your social media accounts.
Do clean up your profile. If you have, in the past, done any of the above, go through your profile and decide what to delete and what to keep. Think like an employer. If you have weeknight party pics, consider deleting them on your social media and just saving them privately. You don’t want to give a future employer the impression that you care more about your social life than your work. It’s important that you spend a decent amount of time on your all your accounts to ensure that they make you look good to a potential hiring manager.
Do share, comment and like industry-related content. What’s going on in the industry that you work in or want to work in? Has there been recent research that affects the job you do or want to do? What about the latest developments, technology and methods? You should show that you are interested in the industry and enjoy what you do. Your future employer wants to know that you are passionate about the work and care about what is going on. Plus, this kind of social media content shows that you know what the best practices are and are always up to date on what is going on.
At the end of the day, you want to what’s best for your career. And when you’re applying for City of Cape Town vacancies, double checking your social media may be a good idea. So, remember the above and keep these tips in mind when you post anything.
