How to use social media to improve your career prospects instead of ruining them.
I was contacted recently by Karissa Byrnes from the Pedestrian TV website for an online article about how social media can be used to actually help your career instead of tarnishing it. Hopefully, any user of social media has updated their privacy settings so your boss and colleagues can’t see your sexy selfies or photos of you drunk at a local club. In a world of “oversharing” how can you use social media to your advantage?
A recent study by the Society For Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 84% of employers recruit via social media and 43% of employers screen job candidates through social networks. What they find could disqualify you from your dream job, but it could also give you a leg up!
The same study found 36% of companies have actually disqualified job candidates after doing an online search or viewing an applicant’s social media. Individuals posting to any social media site should do so with caution. Whether right or wrong, many employers view an employee’s social media content and consider it an extension of the company as a whole.
Things not to share on social media
As a general rule I recommends re-thinking any posts that could fall into the following categories :
- Badmouthing the boss, the company or a product offering – if you must vent, do it offline to a friend you can trust.
- Badmouthing competition – you might be certain it’s true, but it just makes you look unprofessional. Besides you never know who you might want to work for in the future.
- Posting or being tagged in inappropriate pictures – you can make social media accounts have to seek your approval before you can be tagged.
- Posting any type of status update when off work due to an illness – literally none of us spend all day in bed asleep even on our sickest of days, but just play it safe and keep things unposted. Even if it’s #tbt.
- Posting controversial remarks that can be used against the company’s mission, vision or values – think long and hard before getting too opinionated on your social media. Nothing is worse than a heated, in-the-moment comment that hasn’t been well thought out, that’s even without factoring in future employers.
- Posting confidential job-related material – this one really shouldn’t need any further explaining, right?
Use social media this way instead…
Instead of abandoning social media altogether, is that you can use it to ensure potential employers judge you favourably.
If hiring managers can’t find you online, it’s not a good sign. It looks like you either have something to hide or nothing to show, both of which will send your resume to the bottom of the pile. Employers will wonder about say, a tech professional that has no online presence; you need to at least be on LinkedIn and possibly twitter but keep Facebook private.
While it’s fine to keep your personal Twitter account private, it may be worth having a searchable Twitter name that depicts professional you and what you bring to the table. This way you get to choose what employers see. Make it look good.
And finally…
In short, use social media to market yourself. If you’re a designer, photographer, artist etc. share some of your work. If you’re in marketing or public relations, use your profile to show off that you know how to build a following and connect with the right people. No matter what your profession (or professional interest) there are links to share, groups to join and conversations to be a part of that show just how excellent you would be as an employee.
Read this article on the Pedestrian TV website »
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Finding yourself on the job market at any point in your career can be daunting, whether it is your choice or not. The way you present yourself is crucial. From your resume to your elevator pitch to your interview skills to that all-important LinkedIn profile – you need to stand out from the crowd if you want to succeed.
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Our “Fast Track to Getting That Job” Program
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- A clear career goal
- Your USP (Unique Selling Point)
- A resume that gets you noticed
- An attention grabbing LinkedIn profile
- A knock ‘em dead elevator pitch
- Best practice interview skills
- Job application techniques, including tapping the hidden job market
- A complete/comprehensive action plan to get that job
For those who simply don’t know what they want to do next/what career they want/would suit them, we recommend undertaking the Career Change Program prior to starting The Fast Track Program.
Career Program Overview
Prior to your first session, you will receive three short, easy to complete assignments, which will form the foundation of your resume. These exercises are designed to spark ideas and help you come prepared for Session One.
As well as the assignments, you will be sent all the course materials for the first session of the job seeking program to read in advance.
Session One : Resume
Once you and your coach have reviewed your assignments, work can begin on building your resume. The three major takeaways from this session will be:
- A fully formed professional profile – a key aspect of your resume
- At least one completed achievement statement (using the STAR Method – an easy step by step model which makes writing these statements simpler and easier)
- A resume template to suit your situation
By the end of this session you will also have enough information to take home and finesse what you have started. We will come back to your resume in session three so that you have time to work on it between sessions.
We will email you all the relevant materials for interview skills and job applications before Session Two for you to read in advance.
Session Two : Interview skills and job applications
Using real life interview questions, relating to a specific job or a sample job supplied by us, we will practise interview skills. You will receive in depth feedback on your answers, your body language, your voice and presentation. We will also work on writing a compelling job application and cover letter.
Takeaways from this session include:
- A cover letter
- A list of achievement ‘stories’ to pull out of the hat in an interview situation
- Top interview questions and answers
- How to deal with tricky interview questions
Prior to Session Three, we will email all the materials on LinkedIn profiles for you to read in advance. You will be asked to email your completed resume from session one.
Session 3 – LinkedIn Profile
- How well is your LinkedIn profile working for you?
- How do you build a targeted, professional network?
This session starts with a review of your resume from session one. Much of this information can be carried across to your LinkedIn profile, which makes the process more effective. Using templates and working within LinkedIn’s best-practice guidelines, you will build your LinkedIn profile and start working on building those vital connections.
Takeaways from this session include:
- Your completed, key-word rich professional profile summary
- A LinkedIn template
- An understanding of how LinkedIn can work for you
You will continue to work on your LinkedIn profile prior to Session Four and we will email you the materials you need on networking to prepare for session four.
Session 4 – Networking
- What are the dos and don’ts of job networking?
- How do you sell yourself to get that job?
- What is your personal style?
- What is the “hidden job market” and how do you tap into it?
- What is an elevator pitch and why do you need one?
Once we have discussed your personal style and the impact this will have on your networking style, you will learn how to network using LinkedIn and other strategies. We will also cover how to tap the “hidden job market”, reaching out to current and new connections and practising networking and informational interviewing techniques.
Takeaways will include:
- A completed elevator pitch to market yourself
- An understanding of your personal style and how to use that knowledge to your advantage in a networking situation
- A comprehensive action plan to take you forward to get that job.
After the program, we will follow you up with a phone call to check on your progress and to see if you need any further support. You can also contact us for any help you may need along the way.
The sessions are conducted face to face at our offices in Neutral Bay and the Sydney CBD.
Course Pricing
This Package price is $795.00* payable at the time of booking the program (some discounts & instalment plans may apply; please ask your career consultant).
Our career counseling and life coaching services
Our career counselors and life coaches will work with you so you can find your perfect job. We’ll ascertain your unique personal style, the best work environment, your interests, skills and strengths to achieve career satisfaction. As trained and professional career consultants, we will help you with short and long term career planning whether you want to start a career, improve a current one or make a complete career change.
Our life coaches can help people of all ages and stages of life who yearn for more but are struggling to do it alone. Personal life coaching is for those who would benefit from a trusted life coach, confidante and mentor who will encourage and coach to encourage and help them achieve sought after goals.
Take advantage of our complimentary career development and life coaching session to determine whether coaching is for you.