A successful job search starts long before you submit an application. Your personal brand, reflected in your social media profiles, is the first impression employers will have of you. Ensuring you stand out on social media is a key step that many job seekers miss. If your LinkedIn profile looks sparse, or your Facebook profile has memories you’d like to forget, keep reading.
Step 1: Audit your social media accounts
Start with a Google search of your name and see what comes up. Look at your personal brand just like a potential employer would. What comes up first? Is there anything you don’t want to be there?
It’s recommended to review each social media account you have, including older accounts you may no longer use.
- Deactivate and delete older profiles to prevent outdated or irrelevant content from popping up in recruiter searches.
- Review your old posts, photos and comments to identify anything that is unprofessional or could be perceived as offensive.
- Adjust privacy settings. Set your personal accounts to “private” or “friends only” to control who sees your personal information.
- Check tags: If you are tagged in photos or posts you don’t want a potential employer to see, ask the person who tagged you to remove the tag.
Does all of this really matter?
It really does. Anything publicly available online is fair game for a recruiter or potential employer to find. You don’t need to remove all the evidence of your college shenanigans. Just be sure an employer can’t find it.
Step 2: Refine your personal brand
The second you hit “submit” on a job application, you’ve invited the recruiter to your online front door. When they ring that doorbell and take a peek inside, be sure there aren’t piles of laundry, unkempt rooms and things you don’t want them to see. Your personal brand is what you want to be known for, what you’re passionate about and how you want to be seen. Maintaining a strong, unique and defined personal brand can truly set you apart from job-searching candidates with similar qualifications. You want to showcase your experience and why it matters to your future employer.
Step 3: Put LinkedIn to work for you
Having an updated and optimized LinkedIn profile is critical, as it is the place recruiters rely on the most to find qualified candidates. LinkedIn is not your resume. It is so much more. If you simply copy and paste your resume in and call it a day, you’re missing out on huge opportunities.
Start here:
- Ensure you have a professional headshot. (This can be taken at home against a plain backdrop with good lighting if you don’t have one from a photographer.)
- Write a strong headline and About section. Place keywords recruiters will search for in your headline and intro, not just your profession or job title.
- Don’t just list job responsibilities. Be sure to include numerical results from previous roles, such as cost savings, productivity increases and other key metrics you helped advance.
- Take advantage of LinkedIn’s Skills feature. Be sure to select several skills for each role, as this helps your profile appear in searches and makes you more visible to recruiters.
- Let recruiters know you are job-searching by toggling on the “Open to Work” banner.
Step 4: Network, network, network
Social media, particularly LinkedIn, can be an extremely effective networking tool. You can reach out to recruiters, hiring managers and people who work at companies where you’d love to work. It may take a few tries before someone responds, but many are willing to have a virtual coffee chat or share more about what they do. Be sure to also reach out to former clients, customers and co-workers, as well as friends, to catch up and let them know you’re in the market for a new role.
In addition, be sure to:
- Follow and engage with companies you are exploring. Like, share and comment on their posts. In conversations, refer to recent posts so they know you’re truly interested in them and have done your homework.
- Join industry-specific networking groups to connect with professionals and find opportunities.
- Showcase your knowledge and passion by sharing relevant posts, articles and videos on professional social media platforms.
Ready to bring your personal brand to a company that values your individuality? Apply to Paycom today!
