5 Ways Social Media Could Be Hurting Your Job Search

5 Ways Social Media Could Be Hurting Your Job Search

February 05, 2012 by Tony Morrison 15

Tony Morrison is the Vice President of Business Development at Cachinko, a unique professional community where social networking and job opportunities come together. Find him on Talent Connection and connect with Cachinko on Facebook or Twitter. Social media is awesome, isnt it? It does so much and asks so little. And using social media the right way can hook you up with the right people, in the right place, at the right time. When used to its fullest potential, actively engaging a network online can transcend your social media game from person to personality someone who engages his circle and provides interesting and relevant content to the masses. However, like most good things, social media can be a real killer for job seekers who use it inappropriately. Any big no-no on a profile can be an ultimate deal-breaker in a matter of seconds, with no recourse and no notification. Are you sure your social media game is helping not hurting your cause? Check out these five ways that your social media efforts could be killing your job search.

1. Youve Got Friends in Low Places (Thanks, Garth Brooks)

As much as you might love your fraternity brother who never really grew out of the Animal House phase, your prospective boss might not. Employers will not judge you solely based on your connections, but having a wild child as an online friend posting inappropriate status updates and photos still can kill your chances for landing a plum job. Pay attention to how you interact with your friend and how they work with you. If you sign on to find the occasional profane comment or dirty picture tag, its time to set some limits. Talk to your friend about who is reading your profile and/or change your settings to restrict who can post/tag what.

2. Is Anybody Out There?

Its one thing to join a social network; its another thing to participate. If you dont have the time for social media, dont make an account. An empty or barren social media profile says that you start things you cant finish and arent taking advantage of the tools you have. More and more employers are searching candidates on Google, so that MySpace profile you started and thereafter neglected will pop up. Hit the basics by including a current (and appropriate) picture, basic info, and updating at least once a week. If you cant do that much, delete any accounts that are not adding value.

3. T.M.I (No More Need Be Said)

On the flip side, a common problem many job seekers run into is putting too much out there on social media. While it might be awesome to share all those wickedly funny party photos and NSFW videos with your friends, your current or

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5 Ways Social Media Could Be Hurting Your Job Search

potential employer might not appreciate the humor. Additionally, the job search is a lot like dating. When youre gainfully employed, your current employer isnt going to want to see you actively job-searching on Facebook. If youre shopping around, many recruiters and hiring managers will lose interest if they see you getting cozy with another company. Know what to share, when to share it and with whom. Be discreet. Your privacy and how you value and protect it is also a critically important attribute of your online brand. Maintain a certain level of professional aloofness by limiting the content you upload and checking your privacy settings frequently.

4. Man of Many Talents

Weve all seen statistics describing social media as a great tactic for all job seekers. However, remember that the job search should only be about 20% online, and social media is just one part of that. You have many talents. You cannot demonstrate the various facets of your personal and professional brand exclusively via online tools, no matter how sophisticated the social networking platform or your digital marketing skills. So make it a point to practice all of your networking skills, and get away from the keyboard once in a while to talk with someone face-to-face. If you rely on social media too heavily, youre going to become a one-hit wonder real quick. Employers want to see candidates who are well-rounded with their branding and job search methods.

5. Its a Time-Suck
Admit it, youve spent a little too much time friending on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, pinning on Pinterest, or grouping into circles on Google+. Thats fine. Social media wasnt meant to simply be a job search tool its a place to have fun, connect with friends and, maybe, see how that girl you knew in high school is doing now. However, be aware that five minutes can turn into an hour on social media, which can seriously hurt your job search efforts. Stay focused on your job search, and set time aside in your day for fun social media so that it doesnt run away with you. What do you think? What other ways can social media kill your job search? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Social Media Job Listings

Every week we post a list of social media and web job opportunities. While we publish a huge range of job listings, weve selected some of the top social media job opportunities from the past two weeks to get you started. Happy hunting! Administrative and Executive Assistant / HR Manager at Pixable in New York City Marketing and Communications Manager at Miami Heat in Miami PR Manager at 180LA in Santa Monica, California Image courtesy of iStockphoto, Talaj Email Story Reprints

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15 Comments

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PRWatcherIndy Follow TMI is can be a big problem. #J560PR February 05, 2012 Reply 1 Flag this comment

2.

Dennis Langston Follow Great article Tony. February 05, 2012 Reply 1 Flag this comment

3.

Mark Schoonover Follow Required reading for high school students. #jobs February 05, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

4.

amorrison03 Follow Thank you for your comments everyone. February 05, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

5.

Paulo Silveira Follow Social media is awesome, isnt it? It does so much and asks so little. And using social media the right way can hook you up with the right people, in the right place, at the right time. When used to its fullest potential, actively engaging a network online can transcend your social media game from person to personality someone who engages his circle and provides interesting and relevant content to the masses. However, like most good things, social media can be a real killer for job seekers who use it inappropriately. Any big no-no on a profile can be an ultimate deal-breaker in a matter of seconds, with no recourse and no notification. Are you sure your social media game is helping not hurting your cause? Check out these five ways that your social media efforts could be killing your job search. February 05, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

6.

Catherine Liu Follow so true February 05, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

7.

Druso Bianchi Follow Its too much. Im just being myself and its going great, with my party pictures, idiots friends and political posts. So what? Thats who I am and its better you know before you hire me. Transparency, this is what social is about. If youre not up to the job there are just no rules that will help you.

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5 Ways Social Media Could Be Hurting Your Job Search

February 06, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment amorrison03 Follow Thank you for your feedback. Point taken. Be yourself. Be authentic always. However, there are times when one persons attempts at being social may cross another persons limits of good taste, or their personal boundaries on language, personal attitude toward others, etc. For example, some attempts at humor that offend others can backfire on you in a big way. I agree you should be yourself, but please also consider the rules and regulations that employers have for engaging applicants, candidates, and employees. These regulations are in place for a reason. To protect our personal rights. It boils down to respect. Be authentic and respect yourself and the people with whom you interact, and you will create a strong personal brand for yourself online. February 06, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

8.

Luis Fernando Tejada Follow Media Jobs February 06, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

9.

Di-Anne Di Re Follow Job Searching? Take a look. February 06, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

10.

Bekki Leaver Follow I absolutely love the fact I needed to sign in using a social network login to leave a comment. Nice touch that. Great article though! Always appreciate advice on keeping my social profile job search friendly! February 06, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

11.

Margaret Molloy Follow Good tips February 06, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

12.

Gary Lowell Thayer Follow Coming from personal experience, I can completely relate to all of these and they dont surprise me but an excellent summary nonetheless! I am definitely cutting back on my social site log-ins, careful about my privacy settings, and spending more time on real-life networking opportunities. (Of course I continue to keep an eye out for great job postings using Mashable Jobs and other sites!)

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5 Ways Social Media Could Be Hurting Your Job Search

February 07, 2012 Reply 1 Flag this comment

13.

David Ziga Follow Stay alert! February 07, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

14.

4LorenaCha Follow I think job search this days is done 80% on the web. There are a lot more people you can network with over email and social media sites, and to apply for a job most of the time you have to go directly into the company websites, which provide with great resources on how to tailor your resume Of course social interaction is important but the internet holds the key February 08, 2012 Reply 0 Flag this comment

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