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A Quick Guide To Manage Your Online Reputation

Introduction

Anyone who’s anyone is on social media. It has completely revolutionised communication.

From its early beginnings in the early 2000s to present day, social media has exploded and placed itself firmly in our lives with no signs of disappearing.

From catching up with friends, to connecting with colleagues or even just starting a discussion with likeminded individuals, social media has changed the way we communicate entirely and has made the world truly connected.

The power of social media

Social media is more important than ever. It has inspired political revolution, reconnected school friends and has established itself as the platform for the world to talk to each other.

Think of social media as the new first impression. It plays a big role in the job market and can be used to your advantage when thinking about a career change, looking for a job or even presenting yourself online in a more professional manner. Your presence online can also be the difference between getting hired or not. If you’re active on Facebook or Instagram, it’s likely that the person hiring you is too.

We’re not just talking about Facebook. There’s Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest… the list goes on. While statistics show that LinkedIn is still number one when it comes to jobs, 66% of companies use Facebook and 54% of companies use Twitter in their hiring process. With numbers like these, is it worth not having a spring clean of your social media?

The power of social media

An overwhelming 73% of people were successfully hired using social media. The landscape of social media is changing but so is the way in which recruiters hire talent. The growing trend of moving away from traditional recruitment shows just how important social media is.

This means that hiring managers are checking up on candidates. Since 3 out of 4 hiring managers check the social media profiles of candidates, it’s difficult to ignore the power that social media has when it comes to recruitment.

14.4 million people use social media to look for jobs!

Who is looking at my profile?

It is a recruiter’s job to understand a candidate as best as possible. Often this is achieved via phone interviews or an interview in person. But recruiters can also get an idea of who you are by looking at your social media. It may seem like they’re judging a book by its cover but these are the times we’re living in.

Using social media can help prevent recruiters hiring the wrong candidate. But it can also encourage a recruiter to understand what a person is like out of work. This is useful in establishing whether you’re a good fit for a company. For example, a prestigious law firm may decide not to interview you if your Twitter has mentions of any inappropriate activity and conversely they may want to see you in person if your Twitter reflects their own company identity.

If you don’t want anything to be seen by the public, simply do not post it or make sure it is private. This can also work in your favour as recruiters may see this as a smart move, knowing that you understand the importance of online security.

Who is looking at my profile?

Tip: If there is anything you don’t want to be seen by the public, simply make it private.

Do recruiters look at social media?

The answer is simple: Yes. Why? They want to know the real you. Recruiters want to see beyond the CV. With websites like Facebook and Twitter, a recruiter is able to see your personality, what activities you take part in, who you follow, who follows you, use of language and even your opinions on current affairs. This is so that they can gauge if your personal brand aligns with the company and its values.

This is the perfect opportunity to give it a cleanup. A recruiter is less likely to hire someone if their Twitter displays information about illegal drugs or tweets of an inappropriate nature so it’s worth going through your social media to ensure that what‘s on there is work suitable.

Do recruiters look at social media?

73% of companies have hired successfully through social media.

How important is social media?

With more than 14.4 million people looking for jobs on social media platforms, this figure shows the growing prevalence and importance of social media. This means your online presence could be crucial in helping you find a job.

However, if you’re looking for a job or you’re in employment, having yourself spread across social media can be valuable. You can establish yourself as a voice within your industry. By sharing articles, information and having discussions with influencers, you will start to earn yourself a reputation as someone worth listening to.

Posting on forums, discussion boards or even leaving reviews on relevant business books on Amazon can place you in good stead with recruiters, too. Next time you buy a book that you’ve enjoyed (or not enjoyed), write a review on Amazon. All of this contributes to growing and improving your online presence and can the right people notice you.

By following CEOs, executives and other established business leaders you will be able to keep your finger on the pulse of the latest trends in your field.

The more you use social media, the more you will benefit from it.

How important is social media?

Tip: Make sure your profile is public when you’re hunting for a job and your tweets are professional, informational and engaging. You’ll gain more followers this way.

Social media snapshot

1.65 billion monthly active users

You can interact with brands, send messages and see updates from companies that you’re interested in. Some even post their job vacancies on there. And if you’ve ever wanted to know more about a certain brand, often they will respond to questions posted on their Facebook wall. Facebook is a great way to interact with brands (and even celebrities) you like.

#socialising, #reconnecting, #sharing

332 million monthly active users

Twitter is a microblogging platform. Here you can position yourself as an influencer or thought leader in your industry. By talking to and interacting with business people and industry leaders, and posting your thoughts on particular topics, you can demonstrate that you are engaged with the community and industry. Doing so can catch the attention of recruiters and lead you to a job because you are showing more than just a casual interest. It’s also a useful networking tool. On Twitter you can follow business people (or companies) in the industry you’re interested into and start discussions with your own hashtags. This can help you gain a better understanding by keeping your hand on the pulse of what’s going on.

#microblogging, #realtimeupdates, #networking, #influencing

400 million active users

Instagram is visual. It might not be the obvious choice when thinking about recruitment. But you can show off any work that you produce or give people a visual snapshot of your life. Instagram is a great place for creatives and is an ideal place to find an audience and get noticed. If you’re an artist, graphic designer or photographer then you will find a home at Instagram. The use of hashtags helps you to stay relevant and ensures the right people are seeing your content.

#personalbranding, #photography

400 million members

If you have an opinion on something or want to create an engaging discussion then the platform LinkedIn works well. Their Pulse feature allows you to write blog posts. On LinkedIn, you can comment on pieces written by prominent people such as Richard Branson or Arianna Huffington. Here you can also follow companies, apply for jobs and connect with past and present colleagues. It’s the social network for business and employment.

#jobs, #jobhhunting, #networking, #recruitment

What is personal branding

Social media is very powerful when it comes to curating your own personal brand. It is important when developing your career and positioning yourself a leader or influencer in an industry.

But, what exactly is personal branding? It’s when you market yourself or your career as a brand. Essentially, it’s your reputation. But why is this relevant? People are increasingly trusting people more than brands. By creating a personal brand, you remove all the contrived advertising and sales that audiences are starting to get tired of. You become a fresh and welcome voice in an otherwise crammed space through your original thoughts and individual perspective.

Tip: Interested in a particular position? Checked LinkedIn for people who hold the same position. Then follow them on Twitter for unique insights.

Here are just a few reasons why a personal brand is good for you:

You can increase your professional network.

You can attract new opportunities.

You can become an influential voice in your field.

You can gain work and recognition from your industry.

The important thing when creating a personal brand is to be consistent, filter yourself appropriately and engage with your audience frequently.

Youtube is a great place to show your personal brand. You can create videos on any topic that you are interested in. For example, if digital marketing is one of your passions, you can share your knowledge through Youtube videos, respond to comments, take questions and help your audience. By fostering and nurturing a community, people will come to you for answers and eventually you will become an influencer.

58% follow a company’s social media because they want to work there.

How to spring clean your social media

Sometimes all you need to do is a few tweaks and your profile will be improved. This spring clean shouldn’t take any longer than 15 minutes of your time and with these simple steps, your social media presence will be amplified. Go through every 6 months to ensure everything is how you want it to be.

Step one:

Google your name in quotes. Your name might be very common so you might need to add a city name, the company you work at or the school you attended.


Step two:

Check Google images. It’s easier to filter through pictures than hundreds of links.


Step three:

Do a search on social media using your usernames. Check everything. Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, and Pinterest.


Step four:

Start fixing what you find. Maybe you once posted something embarrassing somewhere. Maybe you’ve matured since creating your account. Log in and delete it. Google and Facebook have options to remove content on your own. If you want to start over, simply delete your old account and create a new one.


Step five:

If you find information that you can’t delete or change, one solution is to create more good than bad. Post articles, contribute to online discussions, raise your online profile by sharing valuable content.


66% of millennials are concerned that information online may negatively affect their reputation.

Dos and Don’ts

Do...

Complete your profile

Be consistent across your profiles

Use visuals

Join industry groups

Enjoy yourself

Don´t...

Post inappropriate content

Complain about your employer

Cause offense

Harass anyone

Tell lies