
Job Search Tips
Social Media Matters: How Your Online Life Can Help You Get A Job
August 3, 2015

Warning: Reading this post may lead to a review of your social media posts. Would you consider your general online activities as cringe-worthy or share-worthy?
“Character is what you are in the dark,” American evangelist and publisher Dwight Moody once said. Now, thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, his insightful quote can also be rephrased to, "Character is also what you are online.”
Having said that, your online life brings with it great power and great responsibility. Your online life can be a big stepping stone or a debilitating roadblock in looking for employment. Give that some serious thought for a moment. Looking after your online presence should now be given as much care and attention as preparing for a job interview or making sure your resume stands out.
How? Why? Before you go into search-and-delete mode for those compromising bachelor party photos from a year ago or that tweet blasting your erstwhile boss from 2013, check out the reasons why your social media presence is very much a part of the equation when being considered for a job and how your online life can help you get a job. Then go into search-and-delete mode.
Employers screen applicants’ social media accounts
Be forewarned: Employers, even Filipino ones, delve into the practice of looking up the social media accounts of prospective employees. What an applicant feels may be alright to display on their Facebook or Twitter may not be the same for their future employer so be careful of the posts that may come out of your Facebook and Twitter. Posting not-so-appropriate content – whether that of the not safe for work variety, speaking ill of someone, or making inappropriate remarks – may make you kiss your job chances goodbye earlier than expected. Through the lens of an applicant’s online presence, organizations always want to ensure they have the best information on hand to gauge whether a potential hire will fit the company culture. Employers, may be able to put together pieces of the puzzle to answer the question, “What is his/her personality type?” Some companies, according to reports, base their hiring decisions on what they uncover while sweeping social media accounts. What are the type of posts to veer away from? The US site CareerBuilder.com gave a summary of reasons why companies in the US did not extend a job offer to a candidate due to these social media snafus. They are as follows:- Provocative or inappropriate photos and information posted on his or her profile
- Evidence of drinking and/or drug use on his or her social profiles
- Poor communication skills
- Badmouthing previous employers
- Discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion
- Lying about qualifications