It's not just about your resume and cover letter anymore, your chances at getting that job you applied for could depend on how good or bad you look on your social media sites.
If you don't think your potential employer is looking at your Facebook and Twitter accounts, think again!
According to a Career-Builder survey, 37 percent of companies use social media sites to check out their job candidates. Of the employers who don't use social media to screen candidates, 15 percent said it's only because their business prohibits it.
11 percent who don't currently use social media platforms in the hiring process plan to start soon.
So how do you make sure your Facebook profile makes you stand out above the rest?
Just follow these rules:
- Check your privacy settings because now it matters who sees your random daily musings and pictures. Make sure your settings don't allow friends or family to post anything incriminating on your page without your permission.
- Be professional, that means you can't offer a live play-by-play during an episode of Dancing with the Stars or Biggest Loser.
- Hold your tongue on religious and political conversations too. If you just can't hold in your opinions on daily controversial topics, start a personal blog or join a topic board.
- If it's too much to clean up all the years you documented your life online, open a second profile for professional purposes only. Once you do, look through your old profile so you know what potential employees will see when they look you up.