Social Media and job searching.

(This I wrote up a couple years ago, and share with you readers, please feel free to share )

We all know how addictive sites like Facebook can be, what with the games, applications and ability to catch up with family, former classmates and friends.

Social Media has give the public ways to interact personally, be it via web browser, Iphone or any number of devices. We can tell our friends with the push of a button “Hey I'm a Starbucks come join me for a coffee” just as easy as we can share photos from that House party at “Jason's” over the weekend.

However there is a side to Social Media many forget to take into account, and that can be the impact it can have on a persons search into finding work.

When someone who is searching for employment decides to start with a Social Media Networking site they should ask themselves the following questions:

1. Do I trust my friends to not post anything that could paint me in a negative light in the eyes of a potential employer?
2. Is it wise to use the same email account for accessing a social media site that I publish on my resume?
3. Can I be diligent enough to routinely log into my account on a daily basis and make sure that I have not been tagged in a photo that would give the an impression of being unreliable in the eyes of a Human Resources department?

If you can honestly ask yourself these questions and feel confident with answering yes, then its time to move on to your next step, deciding which Social Media websites websites will benefit your job searching best. For blanket networking a site like Facebook is a good starting point, but remember, your trying to target your skills to the marketplace your looking to get into.

providing you are ready to take into account a few basic protocols.

1. Language can kill you in the eyes of an employer.
   This not only means your personal use of wording but how others post to your profile's wall . Employers are looking at your social media page as an extension of yourself, but they want to be able to also see that you have the poise and diplomatic skills to be viewed as part of the public face of their company. Items like slang phrases picked up from shows like Jersey shore, or fowl language can instantly turn the opinion of an employer from one of interest to disgust

one way to make sure your profile page passes muster, is to get a list of terms that you know would be frowned upon by broadcast standards (Comedian George Carlin would have referred to them as the 7 words you cant say on TV) . Now with that list in hand bring up your profile page in a internet browser and then on a PC press your CTRL key and tap the letter F. This will bring up the find feature and allow you to scan your page for each of the words on your list. From there its a matter of self censorship for the betterment of your chances career wise.

Try to use the same judgment you would with inappropriate words as with photos, especially your profile photos, while there is noting wrong with a humorous profile photo, ask yourself , would this risk offending someone if this picture was being passed around a group that included all age ranges?

Think of photos in this manor. Does the image your uploading rate as G, PG, PG-13, M, or NC-17. While anything up to PG-13 may be allowed depending on how formal the office is, its best to not push your profile past PG, and preferable to try to keep it G rated as you never know when the company your applying to is looking for someone who they can feel confident will represent them with any age range.

2. Be aware of the groups pages and forms you decide to follow on your page.
   1. This becomes important when you realize that Human Resource managers are not going to stop their social media research of you at your personal front page. If your applying with a company like Telus, don't forget the fact that as a company Telus is going to most likely monitor all groups and pages related to telecommunications.
      In other words, it doesn't matter if you accept that “I hate Telus” invite your friend Betty sent you or you comment on the Rogers page that their “a million times better that that (Explicative deleted) customer service provided by Telus. The odds are that Human resources is going to direct your resume to the “not the right fit for our company” file.

3. Consistency
   1. Nothing is more harmful than a lack of consistency in between your social media page and the information on your resume. Basics can be covered making sure that the segments related to past job history and education match up. In other words try to make sure that if you worked at ABC sprockets as an entry level customer service agent that the information for both your social media page, your resume and your references all show consistent details.

4. Promotable Skills
   1. This is where you have the change to truly shine with a social media page. Do not hesitate to link to skill related projects. If your a Website Designer, put links to the sites you have worked on in your About Me section. For those who work Graphics design, video editing or music creation a social media page becomes your portable portfolio. With things like QR codes.
      
      
      
      
      interested Human Resource managers can quickly be linked to different aspects of your creative talents, and if your talents fall more towards hands on projects like woodcraft, welding, carpentry etc. The social media page still can benefit you immensely as it gives you a place where you can display images of projects in their different stages of development through to completion
5. Networking!
   1. This is MAJOR when it comes to putting social media sites to play in the quest for career advancement. A good example when it comes to myself is the fact I design and sell my own line of clothing, as such it helps to have an ear to the ground of the market trends and practices of different companies. Social media and networking sites like Linkedin allow me to connect with companies like Affliction Clothing, giving me a insight into the general size of their company, business practices and policies. It also permits someone with the creative talent to have a line of communication where they can sell a company on a design should it be something that doesn't fit with your own creative spark.

In the case of using social media and networking to your job search advantage, Google (or Bing or Yahoo etc) becomes your best friend, search for social networking and media sites that match what you are looking to get into. Find the Twitter feeds for companies you know are in your field and follow them, don't hesitate to make it an interactive usage of these services. For example, if your looking into wanting to work at a sawmill search out a company like West Fraser , follow them and if they post being awarded a kudos for attention to staff safety do not be afraid to click “re-tweet” to share the news with others, or even respond and offer a quick (140 characters or less) note of congratulations. It'll be remembered should an interview comes up and the response to “how did you hear about us” is Via Twitter

The suggestions in this document are only the tip of the iceberg, but as more and more companies branch out into the digital world, sites like Facebook, Linkedin and others are going to become factors that influence the decisions of human resource managers, who are on the look out to right fit a successful candidate into their company's day to day operations.