When applying for jobs, it is vital that you keep an eye on your social media presence, yes… it does matter! Everything you post whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn, will most likely be seen by possible employers. Before they hire you, they want to be 100% sure that you are the person you seem to be. If your social media pages show them otherwise, you will get terminated from the job opportunity. Inappropriate images and foul-mouthed status updates should not be present.

The Internet is a terrifying place; once you post something online, don’t ever expect it to go away. Your entries on social media reflect on you as an individual, employers will take note. Avoid bad talking employees (or anyone for that matter!) and be sure that your photos are appropriate. A good rule to use before you post something is to ask yourself this: “Would you want your boss to see it?” or “Would you want your grandparents to see it?”. If the answer to either of these questions is no, don’t post it! In an article on this matter, Olivia Piepe stated, “People need to be aware of the digital footprint that they leave behind and what message that portrays. You wouldn’t show interviewers pictures of debauched nights out at university, why would you leave that information open for them to find on the internet? If you create a positive online presence with a well-looked after Facebook page (perhaps with high privacy settings), a professional LinkedIn profile and an interesting Twitter account, you’re much more likely to be able to use social media to your advantage.” According to research done on this phenomenon, a huge 91% of employers use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to screen candidates.

We don’t mean to scare you away from using social media- it can be a great tool to keep in contact with friends, or even network to future employers. But make sure you’re being cautious about what you post because yes, employers are looking!

[subscribe2]