4 August 2016 - What does your social media say about you? - Tech in Asia

The job application process is not always easy for most talents, especially when there are thousands of applicants out there in the online job market. If you want to stand out from the crowd then you must create a personal brand that attracts potential employers.

Personal branding is not a new concept; this is simply going beyond honking your horn on paper via your resume. Recruiters and headhunters see this approach as a personal assertion that you treat what you know as a “package” that you promote, and that you keep this “package” spick and span. However not all talents are well aware that maintaining a personal brand requires keeping a positive image all across your portals of identity which include your social media pages.

If you continue to commit mistakes in your social media pages then know that these will negatively affect your personal brand.

#1 – Being too personal: Social media pages are created for public consumption therefore don’t think that private matters are kept private once you post it there. Too many individuals go overboard by not minding the impressions created on the minds of potential employers when they post images that are better left pasted on traditional albums, or rants better expressed privately with friends.

#2 – Not being mindful of social media etiquette: Just because majority of social media users share irrelevant information and postings for amusement doesn’t mean that you will do the same. Likewise, avoid at all cost in creating and participating in arguments or heated debates that may go way out of line. If any of these is of your concern remember that you’re better off taking the issue somewhere else (in private, of course).

#3 – Badmouthing a potential employer: When a job application didn’t turn out well it is not reason enough to post a displaced criticism on your recruiter, interviewer or potential employer. Nor should you enjoin a thread of discussion with your friends that points to the direction of employer criticism. What you post online is always subject for interpretation and debate regardless how you rightly feel about it.

#4 – Not taking advantage of your LinkedIn account: Potential employers agree that your LinkedIn account is another gateway for them to know your professional background in that the more connections you have, the more credible you are. Spend more time on updating your LinkedIn profile, instead of hanging out in Facebook, to attract more work opportunities.

#5 – Not using social media to demonstrate your professional expertise: When personal branding is concerned, you should use the influence of social media to fully establish your expertise. If you are a software developer, instead of sharing irrelevant information (showbiz gossip, for instance) why not share information on how the emergence of online tools help the speed of growth of businesses. If you are a project manager, why not post information on how to effectively manage projects through teamwork. Of course, just share information that is within the domain of your knowledge so as not to mislead potential employers.

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The article appeared on Tech in Asia.