Ever wondered how much Social Media has affected our lives? ‘Too much’ just seems like too little. Especially, what we do on Social Media and how we present ourselves online has become one of the most reliable sources of information for recruiters today. When you’re on a job hunt, simply preparing for an interview and brushing up on your skills is no longer enough. Inevitably, a recruiter, if they find your candidature strong, will have a look at your online presence, to see how your personality is. The idea is to be consistent between what you speak in the interview and what you say online. And this can only be achieved by being true in the interview.
However, there are a few red signals that you must avoid, and a few green ones that you can adapt, to improve your online presence, starting today. In our two-part writing, the Saransh team of recruiters talk about the Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media, that can help you. In this part, we will be talking about what you SHOULD do, and later, come to the list of things that you must avoid.
So, without further ado, here are the top 4 points that you can do online:
Start with a Google Search of your name
Some of us might have done it just for fun but, in googling your own name to see which links pop up, is a great place to start your self-audit. Usually, it might show you links to your most active sites like Facebook or LinkedIn (or maybe it won’t show your page links at all. But sometimes, it might show you some old account on post that you had done during your young days, that you wish you hadn’t. You can then delete the same or make changes to the account, just to be sure.
Work on your profile, especially on LinkedIn
To begin with, make sure your profile picture is not of you making some weird faces or in an unprofessional manner. A good profile pic can help boost your social media presence a lot. In addition, the information section, or ‘About Me’, that is given on different platforms is an overview of what your thoughts are about yourself. You can try being creative or professional in talking about yourself, but never overdo it. And at last, make sure that the contact details provided by you are correct, as you never know when a good opportunity might come searching for you.
Be active in discussions, and try platforms apart from the big 4
Being active on social media is not about simply uploading photos or voicing your opinions about everything. Its also about networking with the right people, sharing quality content, taking part in discussions related to your domain and so on. Also, apart from Facebook, LinkedIn, twitter and Instagram, there are many sites that are informative. Quora, as an example, is a great platform to help others through answers and your personal experiences.
Follow more accounts and pages that are related to your professional domain
Social Media is a one of the best ways to network, especially LinkedIn. Spend time to build your network and to follow groups and other accounts that are relevant to your industry. Stay connected with people by replying on their posts. This will help you build a good rapport in your online circle. In fact, you might also get a great opportunity to interact with decision-makers or your own interviewers, even before your interview is set up.
The idea in maintaining a good online presence is moderation. As Social Media is an open book with access to everyone, it does help to have awareness of how your image is portrayed online. In the second part of the blog, we will be talking about the things to avoid and what NOT to do. But in the meantime, we wish you Happy Networking!