Optimise your online presence for employers

A recent survey by JobVite highlighted that a staggering 93% of recruiters review a potential candidate’s social media profiles before choosing whether to recruit them. It is therefore safe to say that even before a potential employer has finished reading your CV, they will already be checking out what you have been up to recently online.

Whilst it might seem obvious not to post references to alcohol and drug fuelled weekends with friends, and of course this is a big turn off for almost all employers, something as innocuous as poor spelling and grammar can also sound the death knell to your job application.

On the plus side, there are many ways that you can make your social media profiles shine online. Take the time to optimise your online presence for employers across all channels that you use (delete old profiles that you no longer maintain or are out of date) and you’ll give yourself the best chance against other candidates vying for your dream role – the market is extremely competitive right now so any plus points you can score are crucial.

Below are a few examples of what to promote and what to avoid!

Things that will have a positive effect on your job application

• Profile details match those on your CV
• Professional looking screen-name and profile
• Membership of business clubs
• A visible interest in the field to which you are applying
• Fully populated LinkedIn profile with personal recommendations
• Examples of charity work or volunteering
• Friendly and pleasant demeanour towards others
• Good spelling and grammar
• Professional image
• Interest in a wide range of activities
• Rewards and accolades
• Interaction with the organisation you’re applying to, e.g., follow them on LinkedIn and comment on social posts
• Show your creative side

Things that will not help you get shortlisted for the job

• References to alcohol, drugs and sex
• Examples of unpleasant behaviour or comments towards others
• Information that does not correlate with your application
• No sign of interest in the field to which you are applying
• Unprofessional screen-name
• Poor spelling and grammar
• A negative or over-complaining attitude
• Extreme opinions
• Inappropriate photographs
• References to or participation in criminal activity
• No recommendations or references from previous employers
• Poor communication skills
• Speaking negatively about past employers

It’s not just social media that employers look at either, according to CareerBuilder, 45% of employers use search engines to conduct their candidate selection research.   By contrast, Research by ExecuNet showed that only 33% of candidates conducted research on themselves online to see what information would be returned for employers. Running a quick check could save a ‘thanks but no thanks’ letter in response to your application.

Overall, 46% of employers are looking for whether a candidate will be a good fit for their company culture. Social media is an ideal way to find this out as it allows natural personality to show through. It’s up to you to make sure that employers like what they see and be aware that even if you have set privacy settings on your profiles that these may change.

PSR Solutions are market leaders in recruitment for the construction industry in the UK and Dubai 2016. They can assist with filling your vacancy or finding short and long term contracts for candidates of all levels. We have over 10 years’ experience in the industry and are a Recruiter Hot 100 company with Investors in People status.

Please contact us to take your career in construction to the next level.

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