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Social Media could get you hired or fired.

Your social media presence

A recent survey by Reppler has shown that 91% of employers use social networks to screen applicants when a job is up for grabs at their company. Of these employers, 68% of them admit to rejecting a candidate based on what they have seen on a social media profile. Your social media presence may only be a snapshot of your personality but to employers it is an increasingly important representation of how you conduct yourself in a public domain. With this is mind we bring you our top tips for job hunters when it comes to their social media presence.

Social media privacy

The majority of searches on a candidates profile take place immediately after an employer has received an application. Employers will search out candidates on social media sites before getting them in for an interview so your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles are their first gauge of you personality. Simply being aware and updating your privacy settings ensures that employers can only see what you want them to.

Self social media marketing

In a world immersed by social media and social media marketing, cries of infringement of privacy simply don’t stack up. Remember you are in control of the content that ends up on your social media pages so think carefully before posting photos from a night out or using offensive language. What might seem like a joke between friends or a way to relive a night out could end up putting off employers. Of those surveyed, 22% of employers said that they have rejected a candidate for either inappropriate photos or comments. A further 19% have rejected a candidate based on a candidate posting content about drinking or drug use.

Marketing the truth

A further warning sign for employers are discrepancies with qualifications. Those “little white lies” you may once of put on your CV to boost your profile are now far easier to spot thanks to the information you provide on social networking sites. In 2009 over a third of people in the UK admitted to embellishing their CV. An application that is contradicted by your own social media input places doubt in a recruiters mind. Bumping up a degree grade is by far the most popular embellishment. Turning a 2.1 into a first might seem like a shrewd move but in reality it is this deception that could mean you miss out on a job.

Social media as a tool

It is not all doom and gloom. Social media does have its benefits with as many employers hiring a candidate based on what they have seen on a candidates profile page as have made a rejection. Using social media to show creativity, to present a well rounded image or simply presenting a positive impression of your personality are all simple ways to impress would be employers.  IWL North Director and Social Media expert Killian Roche said: “It gives an insight into who the candidate is as a person, anyone can write a good CV but your social media profiles give a better picture of your personality and social skills.” Linking your profiles to yourblog or Flickr accounts are great ways of showing employers that you have an interest in a number of different areas.