8 do’s and don’ts for social media and your job hunt

1) Do create an online presence

When you’re looking for a job or positioning yourself for career growth, it’s important to have an online presence to showcase your skills and experience to potential employers. Your online social media pages will also help you connect with contacts who can expedite your job search so take the time to ensure that all your work-related social pages are updated and ready to be reviewed prior to starting a hunt.

2) Do be consistent

Does the employment history on your CV match what’s on your LinkedIn profile? Does the information you have on your Facebook page (if it’s public) match up with the information you have elsewhere online?

It’s fine if you rework your job descriptions, for example, because targeting your CV is a good thing when applying for a job. What’s not okay is if your job titles, companies, and dates don’t match. That’s a red flag for prospective employers.

3) Don’t get in trouble

Employers check out candidates on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. That means that anything you post may be read by your employer or co-workers. If you share company business (good or bad) or post inappropriate content, you could get in trouble with your current manager, and it could even cost you your job, especially if you post on social media while at work.

4) Don’t connect with everyone

There is a school of thought that says you should connect with everyone when you’re using social media. However, the first question you should ask yourself when making connections is how can the person help me? The second question is what can I do to help them? Before you ask someone to connect, consider what you have in common. That common denominator, regardless of what it is, is what’s going to help with your job search.

5) Do be careful what you tweet or post

Be really careful what you tweet or post. You don’t know who might read it. Just search Twitter for “I hate my job” for an example of what can happen. Hiring managers and bosses are using Twitter, too, and if you say it someone will probably read it.

6) Don’t forget your Facebook privacy settings

You may think you’re only sharing those photos from last night’s very late party with your Facebook connections, but often, people you don’t know can see your photos that you’re tagged in or read your posts. Take some time to review what strangers, as well as friends of friends, can see.

7) Network before you need to

Build your network well in advance of when you need it. Make connections in your industry and career field. Follow career experts. Talk to your contacts on Twitter or the other networking sites. Join groups on LinkedIn and Facebook, then post and join the discussion. Be engaged and proactive in your communications.

8) Do Google your name and check what’s online

What shows up when you search your name? Most likely, there’s a lot of information, from tweets to photos. It’s quite easy for employers to find information you may have preferred to keep private. Be aware of what shows up, and if any photos or posts could handicap your job search, change your profile settings or delete the individual posts.