Before reaching out to anyone using an online platform, particularly when looking for a job and applying, it can be prudent to make sure your profiles are maximized to leave an impression. Remember, hiring managers and their teams want to like the person they are hiring – if you’re reaching out via social media or applying online sometimes the first chance they’ll have to make that decission will be through content and information yo have curated yourself.
The following are four simple things you can do to make sure your social media and online presence are not going to compromise your opportunity.
1. Current Information
Make sure all of the information you have shared about yourself is up-to-date. If you’re looking at LinkedIn, for example, this would mean making sure that your job history features your most recent work. More broadly, this can also mean making sure that your other contact information is up-to-date; email, phone number, location – depending on what you decide to share. All of this will make it easier for people to contact you, give the imporession that you are reach able, and ultimately make you more accessible.
2. Relevant Information
Over-sharing can easily become a problem if you’re looking for work using online means. It might be a good idea to clean up your feeds of superficial information while on the job hunt. Limit the content you share to industry specifics to demonstrate your real interest in a subject. Stay positive and don’t share controversial material. It’s also important to note that this means personal information as well, be smart when sharing that information with potential employers before anything official begins.
3. Security/Privacy Settings
A thing key to remember is that a company cannot technically or in some cases legally seek you out on social media. This changes when you begin sharing information with them voluntarily. Keep in mind that certain aspects of almost any profile online can be guarded or shared with selective audiences. It’s highly recommended that if you’re using social media or the internet to be proactive in your job search that you familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of most major social media platform’s privacy and security settings.
4. Influencers
Connect with relevant people and companies to establish yourself as someone who is interested in and connected with industry influencers. Most hiring managers who are active online will already be connected with these individuals and profiles, by seeing your mutual interest in them, they will me more inclined to attempt to connect with you.
Keep these tips in mind to optimize your chances when reaching out using social media or the internet to apply for jobs.