In today’s society everyone has access to Social Media posting their life online. Any comment, opinion, picture or video shared reflects on you as a person and can be easily found by current and future employers.
Companies will employ a search online as part of their screening process and any remark made in the heat of the moment might come back to haunt you.
Ensure that there is no adverse information about you online.
Follow these tips below .....
Clean up your act.
What to do if you have bad press?
Removed all negative statements, videos or pictures from any social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Flickr, forums, company websites etc… (Usually they allow you to delete or hide comments. If not, contact the service provider and ask for the information to be removed).
If you have been tagged in any pictures or conversations that you would not want public, ask the person who posted it to remove the tag.
Ensure your privacy settings are positioned to the strictest level i.e. only friends and family.
Paint the right picture
How do you want to be seen? The right public profile will support you in your future growth, so nurture how you are seen.
Only post positive remarks
Always think twice about what you write or authorise to be seen.
Pictures/Videos - Would you be happy to show them to work colleagues? Comments would you say them to your employer?
Add statements that demonstrate your experience, knowledge and insight into the industry.
Timing – Avoid posting in core working hours. Often sites will time/date stamp.
Status – How do you want people to perceive you?
Recommendations – Only asked for referrals when you have performed a good job and ensure it is from senior management. A peer adding a recommendation will only dilute what you have done, rather than carry weight.
Don’t be upset with a person if they decline to recommend you. Sometimes this can be their company policy or perhaps concern about their ‘public face’.
Think about what groups you are in or what your interests say about you?
Schmoose, Network, Interact
Proactively give intelligent, well thought views of the industry. Channels to utilise could include to tweet, update status, comment on industry articles (such as BD online), blog, forums etc…
Pursue recommendations – you will not get them unless you ask
Link to influential people in your industry
Be associated with all major industry events
5. Key Points
Protect your reputation
Keep up to date with what is being disclosed about you and act accordingly.
Only reflect information in a professional and intellectual manner.
Become someone who’s views, comments and opinions count and are sought after.
Above all use Social Media to sell you.
Agency Representation
When you are ready to move jobs the agency(s) selected to represent you is crucial to how you’re perceived in the marketplace.
If you register with a number of agencies you run the risk of your CV being sent to the same client on a number of occasions. This only reflects desperation and often a client will disregard your application to avoid a dispute over which agency has ownership.
Select one agency to take you professionally to marketplace in the outset. You can always expand this to 3 agencies after a few weeks if you are not getting the desired outcome.
You should have:-
Control over who is being approached on your behalf.
Trust that an expert is representing you
A strong relationship your agent.