You have just heard back from your dream internship in New York City and you have made it past the final interview! Your potential employer calls you and explains to you that the job opening is between you and one other candidate. You and your competition have equivalent resumes, so you are told that it is now down to your social media presence.
If you are like most college students, you are probably having an “OH CRAP” moment right about now.
This scenario is actually quite likely. With the job market in the position that it is currently in, social media has become an essential to landing your dream job. Social media can be used to boost your chances of getting the job or internship you are hoping for. On the contrary, it can also completely ruin your chances.
I’ve come up with a few suggestions on how to clean up your social media presence and utilize social media to help land your dream job. Hello, NYC?!
First off, clean up your current profile. Consider the image you are putting out for the world to see. Would you hire yourself based on your online presence?
Facebook:
Delete inappropriate pictures and posts. You don’t want the first thing people think when they see your profile to be, “Wow, this person seems like the life of the party!” You obviously are going to have a social life, but try to keep the beer funnels off of Facebook. Your profile should appear fun but professional. It goes without saying, but if you’re under the legal drinking age of 21, it is never a good idea to post pictures insinuating drinking. Remember, nothing on the Internet is gone forever!
Add a current job, internship, or campus involvement to your “About” section. You don’t need to list every little thing you have ever been involved on your Facebook profile. Save that for LinkedIn. However, having one or two things on your tagline helps to make you stand out from the crowd. It will also show you mean business and are not just using Facebook for social purposes.
Clean up your friends list. We all know those people who we are Facebook friends with, but we aren’t actually friends with. Don’t know ‘em? Delete ‘em!
Twitter:
Update your bio. Use your Twitter bio almost as a mini resume. Include where you go to school, what you are studying in school, and anything else you are involved in. If these organizations or companies have a Twitter account, make sure to tag them so potential employers can click and see what this organization is all about. Don’t be afraid to share a fun fact about yourself to give it some personality as well!
Example: @UCF Advertising and Public Relations student c/o ’14, @HerCampusUCF feature writer, @NBC PR intern
Update your Twitter picture. Twitter pictures aren’t like your Facebook profile picture. Use a solo headshot and keep it! There’s no need to frequently change your picture like you would on Facebook.
Now that your profiles are all cleaned up, make sure you are using them to the best of your ability. Utilize them to give you a hand up in the job market and keep them clean!
Facebook:
Post content that will help get you noticed by the industry you are interested in. If you write a blog post or article, post it to your wall! You never know who might come across it and be impressed by your efforts. If you read an article related to your industry, don’t be afraid to post that along with your feedback and comments. It shows you are genuinely interested in your future and are being proactive.
Twitter:
Follow companies you are interested in. During an interview, it looks great if you are able to talk about the company’s social media campaigns or posts. You might be able to impress your interviewer by bringing up something you saw on their Twitter feed. Don’t be afraid to reply to their tweets, either. After a while you might just get noticed!
Tweet industry related articles. Read something you think others might get some use out of? Tweet it! It’ll show off that you are interested in learning more about your industry.
Go above and beyond.
This day in age, everyone and their mothers have Twitter and Facebook accounts. If you haven’t already, create a LinkedIn profile ASAP! LinkedIn allows you to have a virtual resume and connect with other professionals in your industry. Feeling even more ambitious? Start a blog! Having a blog looks great on a resume and also allows you to connect with other people in your industry.
And last but not least, don’t be all work and no play (This applies to all social media sites). Yes, you want to be professional, but you also want to show the business world your personality. Use applications such as FourSquare to check you and your friends in when you’re out to dinner or on a shopping day. Professionals are allowed to have social lives, too!
Now that you are a social media genius, get out there and use it to your advantage. Happy tweeting!