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Social media is incredibly important in today’s jobseeker market. In fact, we have already talked about the importance of social media in promoting yourself: as a thought leader in your chosen field, networking and enhancing your profile within the SAP community. These posts discussed your profile, but we didn’t get into much detail about the other side of social media: the content you choose to like, share and post. Without overstating it, preparing your online presence is equally as important as preparing for an interview when you are looking for a job, and here’s why. 

When connecting with recruiters and hiring managers of organisations where you would like to work, it is important to be mindful of the types of content being displayed both on your page (items you share or post) and material that will appear in the newsfeeds of your connections (posts or blogs you have liked). Now don’t get us wrong, we don’t think you are writing or sharing offensive or politically incorrect rants, but clicking like on a post titled ‘7 Signs Your Boss is a Moron’ doesn’t exactly paint you in the best light. 

While commenting on posts is an important part of engaging with your online community, it’s important to be careful with where and how you comment, as everyone in your network is able to see these actions. “In the past, I’ve known candidates to get a little carried away with discussions on LinkedIn, which ends up being highlighted and discussed by colleagues offline,” says Chris Oughton, SAP Recruitment Consultant Change and Training. “While it can feel like you are having a private debate, with LinkedIn particularly, every comment is being posted on a very public forum.”

Each social media site has its own privacy functions to protect your content but, in order to support to your SAP Brand, sometimes you need to show a bit more of your profile to the public in order for potential employers and hiring managers alike to scope out the real you. A survey conducted in the US by CareerBuilder.com a few years ago found that 37% of hiring managers and human resource professionals use social networks to screen potential job candidates. Not only are hiring managers interesting in your professional career but, with cultural fit as much of a necessity as technical ability, social media profiles are being used to evaluate both your character and personality. 

In assessing your social media profiles in addition to your CV, a prospective employer gets a more rounded view of who you are, personally as well as professionally and, while it’s easy to get caught up in what not to do, remember that potential employers aren’t always there to catch you out. In one survey, 29% of hiring managers found something positive on a profile that assisted the decision to offer them the role.

So what can you do to ensure your online profiles are adding to your chances of getting your dream job? Firstly, aligning your social media page with your career aspirations and following pages that show your interest in the company, industry or technology can add weight to your status as someone in the know. Additionally, adding any volunteer or charity work, fundraising efforts or extra-curricular work that demonstrates who you are in the community should be visible on all of your social media platforms.

As a final safeguard, it’s always a good idea to try googling yourself to see what is associated with your name online. You never know what long lost memories are lurking – it is the internet, after all!