Use your social media presence to your advantage

A recent survey by CareerBuilder.com found many employers use cyber-stalking as a screening tool, 35% of them eliminating applicants based on what they discover online.

For graduate job and internship seekers it is important to recognise the value of social media in the job hunt. Social media has quickly become an essential networking and recruitment tool so it is important to learn how to best brand yourself on the web so that your online presence can be used to your advantage. Having a strong social media presence can make a great first impression!

If you aren’t already then get on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Make sure you have a sensible Facebook profile image and set your account to private as you wouldn’t want a potential employer seeing your drunken university photos.

LinkedIn is your professional online image so if you are serious about furthering your career you must be on LinkedIn. To have a strong LinkedIn profile and give a good impression complete your profile to 100%, write your positioning statement and career goals in your ‘summary’, ask former employers and internship supervisors to make recommendations on your behalf, connection with people and join groups relevant to your career interests.

Be engaging and active on Twitter. People will follow you if you have a distinct Twitter personality so say hello, re-tweet content and occasionally add  your view. Tweet blogs/articles that interest you and generally be a member of the community. You should follow relevant industry leaders, peers in the field and companies you are interested in working for. When writing your bio consider it as a selling tool for why people should follow you e.g. interests, degree or profession, goals, and what you tweet about.  Show you’ve got a personality.

Blogging. This is a great way to show off your strengths and write about a topic you are passionate about. There are some easy platforms to use e.g. WordPress and Blogspot which can be created in minutes. Blogging is a good idea if your ideal career will involve writing or formulating an opinion on different topics.

One final piece of advice; don’t create someone you are not. There is nothing worse than a crazy internet personality, who, when you meet them, is shy.

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