Would you hire the online you?

If you have a social media presence, then you effectively leave little footprints of your actions and thoughts for potential employers or clients to follow. Too many candidates don’t realise how much of an impact their online persona can have on their professional persona, and that it could determine whether or not they will land the career of a lifetime.

Is your LinkedIn profile accurate and true?

There are numerous examples of people who submit resumes that do not match their LinkedIn profiles. There are also instances where people list their current employer, then remove this from their employment history on LinkedIn.

Ensure your LinkedIn profile paints an accurate picture of your experience. It speaks of your professional integrity and is being increasingly used in place of a resume or CV, particularly for candidates who are not actively seeking a new position.

Do your endorsements and recommendations carry weight?

Complete strangers endorse my skills despite never having worked with or met me! As a professional recruiter I am wary of weightless endorsements on LinkedIn.

Recommendations are a good way to highlight your achievements and abilities so make sure the people who write your recommendations count – aim for people of influence you have completed great work for, rather than your lunch buddy.

What do recruiters and potential employers think if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile?

LinkedIn is an incredible networking tool for professionals. The platform now has more than 238 million users and they say two new members join every second.

Recruitment consultants and in-house talent acquisition teams have to be experts in social networking technology to find candidates while staying ahead of the competitors. New companies now support talent teams and recruiters by trawling Facebook and LinkedIn for specialist professionals and passive talent.

While carrying out due diligence, they can offer full background screening checks based on your social media profile, a process particularly prevalent amongst big banks and multinationals. They are not just checking references, qualifications and credit history, but whether your social media accounts project honesty and character.

Do you have the right privacy settings on your accounts and how appropriate are your comments and photos?

Some candidates are concerned about security, particularly identity theft associated with sharing personal information online. Others are wary of being discriminated when they provide employers with information such as age and race.

The truth is, assessing someone’s employability based solely on their online profile leaves the door open for unethical practices. Moderating your posts and limiting your privacy settings will keep you in the game.

A global trend – checking candidates’ credentials online

Your life is as private as you want it to be, based on what you share. For example, if you are on sick leave, don’t post photos of yourself at the zoo if half your company are your friends on Facebook (this actually happened to one of my staff!).

Twitter and Facebook were established for connecting people with their friends and family. When you connect with your boss and colleagues, you are essentially allowing them to share and see what you do in your private life (unless you have the right privacy settings).

In Australia and the United States, staff members have been dismissed based on derogatory comments directed at their employers.

The mantra for good and effective use of social media is to ensure anything you post is suitable for your mum or your boss to see (alternatively, don’t connect with them on personal social media accounts). Also make sure you are honest and consistent in your job history, particularly on LinkedIn, as this can and will jeopardise your job hunt.

Remember, even if you aren’t actively looking for a role, you’re considered passive talent and easy to reach as long as you’re on social media. Recruiters and talent teams might just be looking at your profile and come knocking with your next dream job.