Social Media Matters

Which describes you best?

My social media presence is personal, minimal, or outdated.

OR

I have a strong current social media presence tailored for my job search.

This whole section is about sharing your story and your online story is equally as important.  I’m not much of a social media person but that doesn’t mean I can pretend that it doesn’t matter during the job search.  Employers are also checking other social media platforms.  I’m not saying you have to go post what you eat everyday on Instagram but you have to be mindful.  Once it’s on the internet, it’s no longer private.  I know we’ve all seen the news when folks have made inappropriate comments or videos have gone viral with bad behavior.  People lose their jobs over these things.  Your online presence absolutely matters during the job search. 

Employers and recruiters are increasingly using LinkedIn as a way to evaluate your professional profile.  It’s a reflection of how you communicate and present yourself to the world.  I said this earlier but in our digital world, it’s acceptable and actually expected to keep your LinkedIn profile current.  

There’s a setting on LinkedIn that is discreet about your job searching status.   It only shows recruiters if you’re open to opportunities.  Similar to how I shared that in person, I tell people that I’m always open to learning about new opportunities regardless of my job search status.  This LinkedIn setting is the digital equivalent.  LinkedIn is rapidly becoming it’s own mega job board.  Of course there are plenty of paid upgrades to gain more insight and get more access but having a profile is still a free service.  

The information flows both ways.  As a job seeker, you can also gather a lot of insight about a company on LinkedIn.  It’s a great way to stay updated on industry news and trends.  You can see if any of your connections work at the places you’re researching.  Remember the second and third level connections?  You can also see who’s been looking at your profile and use that to make a connection.  Just like in real life, networking can happen over LinkedIn.  You can reach out to someone in a professional and polite manner and ask to connect.  I liked to research people with my targeted roles so I can see what kind of backgrounds and journey they had to get there.  I found it beneficial to research people with my current role to see how they described their work and skills.  It served as inspiration for my own resume.  

One thing that was tricky for me was that you only have one LinkedIn Profile.  I’ve spent so much time talking about how resumes should be targeted and aligned with your desired roles but how does it work when you have only one LinkedIn profile but a hundred different resumes?  This was something that I personally struggled with because when I started my job search, I didn’t narrow my focus appropriately.  I wanted to be a cafegymatorium.  I tried to be too many things that were too different from each other.  Knowing that employers and recruiters were looking at my LinkedIn, I wasn’t sure how to build a profile that showcased all of my skills and experiences while being targeted because I had too many different targets.  If you find yourself feeling that way, then take a closer look at your roles.  Are they too different?  Are you trying to be a bank analyst and an organic bee farmer?  

Here’s your takeaway.  How you present yourself online in social media and with LinkedIn matters a lot during the job search. Be mindful of your personal social media accounts as many employers check those as well.  Your online brand is a reflection of you as a person and professional.  It shows how you communicate and share your story with the world.  Work to keep your LinkedIn current and like your resume, keep it targeted toward the roles you want.  It’s a great tool for networking and researching others in your current and targeted fields.  You can also gain a lot of insight about companies and industry trends.