Years ago, when you applied for a vacant position, in addition to a battery of tests and a few interviews, the only thing that could give you any other clue about your skills or behaviors as a potential employee was to get some references from previous positions. But these days, when so much of our professional and personal lives is on social media, interviewers have many other variables to evaluate their potential candidates.
One of the gurus I follow, Rick I - The Linkedin Guy, always says that you can't go from being "invisible" to "profitable" without first going through "visible" and "credible." This applies not only if you have a business or sell professional services, but also if you want to have a professional career in major companies. Why is this? Because many companies today search (and find) their potential candidates on the Internet.
What if they receive an application or resume / resume from a very interesting candidate? Excellent, but I bet they “google” that person to find out what is his life and his history, which definitely does not say in the CV / HV or cover letter. Then they will look for your profile on facebook, linkedin and other networks. They will see your public photos, your comments, status updates, what you follow and what you like. This alone is neither good nor bad. Interpreting these circumstances is what can make the difference.
That is why I have these 3 keys for you to make social networks your ally when looking for a new job (or even if you are not looking, an opportunity can always come from where you least expect it). Or at least, that they do not play against you:
1 - Review your entire profile with critical eyes: understand me well, you are free to believe in what you want, do what you want, show what you want.
But this key will help you to imagine what a third person will think if they see what you show. And to you to think what happens to you with this that the other knows or believes about you (do you still think the same thing and you prefer not to be hired because that's the way you are? ? It's your decision, if you know how to do it)
You have the right to change absolutely nothing. But you also have the right to leave certain issues in the privacy of your friends or family, and "show yourself" how you really want your potential employer or client to see you. If your desire for authenticity and the convictions of your beliefs (religious, political, soccer, environmental or whatever) are so strong that you prefer that a potential employer or client passes you by because they are intimidated by them, go ahead. It is your decision and you have the right to make it. Remember that it is not a matter of not being authentic or having no principles, but of keeping certain aspects personal.
2 - Use each "social network" for the purpose for which it was created
I give you the example of Facebook and Linkedin, which are two of the most used in my case:
Facebook aims to connect you with your friends and acquaintances (photos, videos, games, statuses, birthdays, etc. - all to generate person-to-person relationships). But if you want to use it for commercial purposes, you have to create a different structure (it's called a Fan Page). It is a business page, you have statistics, you can make announcements and you should not use "personal profiles" for your business. If you don't do it like this, Facebook can penalize you.
In the case of Linkedin, some may say that it is the «facebook for business» but it really is not so. It is a professional field but the codes and rules are different. The interactions are more formal and it is a place that values everything related to the professional: the relationship aims to generate job opportunities, business opportunities, information flow. So limit your personal stuff to your facebook profile (profile picture included…).
3 - Connect
There is an advertisement for a university in my city that says something like "your life is 50% offline and 50% online." This is true in most countries with some level of development. It is interesting and extremely constructive to be in contact with people that physically you would not normally see. On the other hand, you can connect with third parties with whom you have things in common. Opportunities always arise when you connect with people. For example, you are online with a friend who tells you that she has a new project in which you think you can collaborate (or you read it in her status update). You are interested and you write to participate. Or you share it with your network and you generate new opportunities. You can see ideas from others and contribute your own.You can even post that you have earned your degree and feel like looking for a job in that industry. Maybe someone in that industry can give you an idea of where to look or a connection to someone. It is a great network of collaboration and connection that you can use to your advantage. There are also groups with specific interests and topics, and you can connect there with people you don't know but share your interests. Relate.
An additional tip: your privacy first. Always think about what you want to show and what not. And always think about the repercussions of what you show. A clearer example? I have a campaign with my friends to convince them to "not say on Facebook when they are going on vacation or traveling." This is a sign that says "my house is alone or I left my family (in the case of a business trip) or I am in such a place." You can decide to do what you want but my advice is that you keep that information for yourself in order to avoid opportunists. There are in real life, there are in "virtual" life.
Have fun and connect on social networks, make them your allies for your profession or your personal life, and take care of your privacy in the way you consider it best.
