Social Media mistakes that can disqualify candidates from a job

Excerpted from a Monster.com Blog by Isabel Thottam

Picture job searching as a two-way mirror. On one side, there’s you: a hopeful job seeker Googling everything and anything you can find out about your dream employer. And on the other side is your potential employer who can look in every nook and cranny online to learn all about you—including your social media mistakes.

You may be thinking: “Do employers check social media accounts?” The answer? Absolutely. A study found that 67% of employers screen job candidates through social networks. And what they find could give you a leg up, but it could also disqualify you from your dream job. The same study found 54% of companies have actually disqualified job candidates after viewing an applicant’s social media. Ouch!

Basically, if you’re willing to publicly post something, a potential employer has every right to use it when considering you for a job. The big question is: What could hiring managers ding you for online? What boots you out of the running? Better yet, what changes on your social media would make you a more attractive hire? We took a look at social media mistakes and ways you can clean up your online reputation that’ll send you to the top of the resume pile.

Turnoff: You’re Private
If hiring managers can’t find you online, it’s not a good sign. In fact, 21% of employers polled said they wouldn’t consider someone who doesn’t have a social presence. It looks like you either have something to hide or nothing to show, both of which will send your resume to the bottom of the pile.

For example, if you’re a tech professional with no presence on social media, that’s sketchy. If you have good LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, it’s probably OK that your personal social media such as Facebook and Instagram remain private.

The key is drawing a line between your professional and personal personas. While it’s fine to keep your personal Twitter account private, it may be worth having a searchable Twitter name that depicts professional you and what you bring to the table. This way you get to choose what employers see. Make it look good.

Turnoff: You’ve Bought Fake Followers
The number of followers a candidate has is a vanity metric with no true meaning. If you’re followed by influencers or other leaders in your industry, that could be more beneficial than the actual number of followers. If you’re well-connected, you can still make a solid impact.

Not to mention, there’s an assortment of tools out there that allow employers to weed out fake followers. It’s all too easy to get caught cheating, and that could certainly cost you the job.

Employers are interested in how you use social media to interact, build relationships, and express your creativity—you don’t need thousands of Twitter followers to get this done.

Employers also want to see you participating in relevant online groups, and they care about the type of content you share and comment on. This is your chance to show what type of contributions you’d bring to a company so keep your commentary professional and make sure you’re adding value to discussion.

Turnoff: You’re Inactive
One of the more glaring social media mistakes is creating a profile and leaving it to rot. You need to be active in order to show employers you know how to engage with an audience. Social media is your chance to showcase your ability to network, engage others, and curate content. Don’t let it go to waste.

You have to commit to your online brand, even if it’s sharing or reposting on social media a few times a week. When researching candidates, employers review social media channels to determine if the candidate posts smart, funny, insightful, interesting or creative content. This is your chance to show companies you’re the full package and that you’re more than your one-dimensional resume.

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