Is Social Media Killing Your Job Search?

Potential employers are no longer just looking at your resume to determine whether or not they should call you in for an interview. Even after your interview you are not safe from potential employers looking for you online. In today's technical world, everyone and I mean everyone from grandparents to parents, teens and tweens and even celebrity babies, (everyone) has an online presence. Having an online presence is great! It shows potential employers that you are familiar with technology, it allows you to connect with others and obtain information at a quicker pace than when I needed to do research when I was in grade school, (my research method back then was an encyclopedia) but let's not discuss my age. It is a great thing, but it can also be a bad thing if you are using technology the wrong way especially when searching for a job. The first place Employers look for you online is Facebook. Many people think the first place they would look is LinkedIn, but it's not. They want to see you in your "unprofessional light". What are you posting on Facebook? What does your profile picture look like? Have your friends tagged you in photos with beer bottles and half clothed photos? Do you go on rants expressing your political and religious views? What are some other things on your page that you may not want your next employer to see?

I'm not saying you cannot post this stuff, but if you are, make your page private and make sure the person who's friend request you accept really is a "friend you know". Even after you do all this, you can never be too careful when it comes to social media. Next, you want to clean up your LinkedIn and make sure it really presents a true picture of your online professional resume. Your profile picture should not a be a "selfie". After you build a professional LinkedIn profile, Google yourself and see what information comes up. Take care of whatever needs to be addressed if you are not pleased with what information comes up after you type your name in Google. Potential employers also check Instagram, so take care of that site as well. I wanted to connect with a family member that had moved to California (I reside in Ohio) on Facebook and I searched and searched for her profile and still couldn't find her. I finally called her and asked why she didn't have a Facebook page and she told me she would get one after she secured a job. I was surprised, but respected her choice. Securing a job was more important to her than her presence on Facebook. I totally commend her! Now again, I'm not saying you have to go that far, but be careful, be selective, because social media can kill your job search. One last word of advice for social media and you probably won't like this. Do not and I repeat not accept friend requests from your boss/supervisor or co-workers once you get the job. They are not your friends. Facebook is for your friends and family, not your work family. Save those relationships and connections for LinkedIn.

This Month's Featured Service: Facebook Business Page $80

Facebook Business Page $80 - Want to sell and advertise on social media? You need a separate professional business profile to do that. After many people saw my Facebook business page, they wanted one too. Go Like my Facebook Business page today! (Like, Signature Workforce Solutions, LLC). For your convenience, you can pay and book online through my website. Schedule your appointment online. For more job search tips and career advice Subscribe to our Website and read our monthly E-Newsletters and Blogs, Like us on Facebook, Connect with us on LinkedIn and Follow us on Instagram.