Career Tips
What Do Prospective Employers Look For on Social Media Pages?
Employers are more concerned than ever that they make the right hiring decisions. One way that they’re doing that is to review social media accounts of job candidates. So what exactly are they looking for? They recognize that social media pages often represent the “true” you, so they keep alert to both positive and negative signs.
Hate Speech or Extremist Ideologies
Employers won’t like to see evidence that a candidate has extremist views toward other groups of people. While freedom of expression still exists, these kinds of posts could get a candidate removed from the short list.
Long or Obsessive Rants
Passion is certainly a virtue, but if a candidate’s social media posts all consist of long, exhaustive rants about trivial events, that could raise a red flag. Employers won’t want to think that you might go off on such a rant during work hours.
Provocative Images
If a candidate poses for vacation pics in skimpy attire, that’s typically not a problem. But if a candidate’s social media posts are all provocative images in alluring clothing—or none—a company may not want to be associated with that person, for brand reasons.
Smart Insights on Controversial Topics
If a candidate posts intelligent questions or comments about topics on which the public has a hard time agreeing, that could mark a candidate as outstanding. Companies are always looking for good people who can think outside the box.
Proof of Dedication
Candidates whose posts reflect a sense of dedication and commitment to family or certain causes are certain to be favored by prospective employers. This kind of social media profile signifies loyalty, which is highly valued by all companies.
Your social media pages belong to you and you can use them as you see fit. Just be aware that they are open season for prospective employers.
