Is your Facebook page job-ready?
With about three-quarters of adults in the UK logging on to Facebook every day, the importance of social media in our lives is clear to see. In 2017, more employers are looking at candidates’ Facebook profiles than ever before. If you’re looking for a job, it’s time to ask “is your Facebook page job-ready?”
What are employers looking for?
When you write your CV or fill in a job application form, you’re focusing on your strengths, and, indeed, that’s what employers would expect you to do. A potential employer can fill in the gaps by looking at your social media accounts and see if they support what you’ve said in your application. For example, if you’ve said you have excellent written communication skills, the employer would be pleased to see that all your posts had correct spelling and grammar. They’ll also spot that you’ve replied to comments and not just hit the “like” button. Perhaps you’ve mentioned your hobbies on your CV – a quick look at Facebook could tell the employer that you really are the well-rounded person you portrayed in your application.
What puts employers off?
As you can imagine, employers don’t want to see posts about drunkenness, drugs or sex. We are all human, though, so photographic evidence of an occasional mistake isn’t going to seriously jeopardise our chances at a new job. However, it’s important to consider how a stranger might react to what’s on your Facebook page.
It also goes without saying that anything discriminatory on grounds of race, gender or sexual orientation is not going to be looked upon favourably.
A less obvious mistake is complaining about work. Using your Facebook page to be rude about your old boss won’t inspire confidence in a new employer. Besides, if you’ve had a bad day, an after-work drink with a good friend will do you more good than a grumpy Facebook post will!
What can you do about dodgy posts?
It may be tempting to just tick all the boxes in the privacy settings so no one outside your “friends” can ever see your Facebook page. However, that can be seriously off-putting to employers – what are you trying to hide?
The best thing to do is to untag yourself in photos that show you in a bad light. It’s quite easy – just hover over your name and you’ll see an option to “remove tag.”
Posts with swear words in them can also be removed – just find the “x” on the right hand side of the post and click to delete.
How much does a Facebook page matter?
The application and interview will always count for more than your social media account. Employers need to know that you have good face-to-face skills, and that you can be professional when you’re at work. Even when employers do look at your Facebook page, they’ll be glad to see you’re a real person – a sense of humour is often as valuable as an impeccable filing system!
On the other hand, it’s not worth missing out on your dream job because of a few embarrassing photos. Check your privacy settings and untag yourself where you need to. If you need a second opinion, we’d love to help! Simply click here [insert email link] to get in touch with Gina and the Fusion team.
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