Recruitment
indepth
What does your social media profile say about you?
W hen a head of block management or head of accounts receives your CV from us, we suspect they will do one or more of the following: 1. Shortlist it (hopefully) and invite you for interview 2. Ask trusted peers in the industry if they know anything about you 3. Look you up online. Part of a reputable recruiter’s role is to vet candidates before passing CVs to prospective employers. However, many employers want to do their own ‘background checks’ and the easiest way of achieving that is to delve into your online presence. How will they find me online? Employers may simply Google your name along with your IRPM letters to narrow down the search. A Google search may find charitable donations you’ve made, your Facebook profile, forums that you have commented on etc. They will almost certainly look you up on LinkedIn, as long as they don’t give away that they have been looking at your profile! A probe into your Twitter account is easily done as the platform encourages openness. What are employers looking for? As most of us have open profiles on LinkedIn, employers will no doubt look at your activity levels. What do you ‘like’ or share? How involved in the industry are you? Who are your mutual connections? They may compare your CV to your job history on LinkedIn. Are there any gaps on either that aren’t easily explained? Do the dates tally? Our standard BBL CV format does not include your photo, so curious employers may wish to see what you look like. It should not come as a surprise that
How can I improve my social media profile? My advice is to have distinct social media profiles for work and for play. An active ‘work’ social media profile ought to reveal enough of your personality and wider interests. If you are proud of your hobbies and they show a talented side, use that to your advantage. An Instagram account showing off your photography or musical abilities will reveal a creative side that may be relevant when writing new proposals! Work on your work profiles to show some meaningful activity. We’ve all visited great websites that are let down by poor quality staff photos. LinkedIn is no different, so ask a friend who has a nice camera/phone to take a new profile shot of you in your work gear. Or commission a photographer to do a professional headshot. Are there any social media taboos? You may not win or lose out on a job opportunity if your LinkedIn profile is dormant, but an employer may not take an application further if your late-night social life appears that it might encroach on work the next day. Courting controversy online is a risky business – try not to post when under the influence. That said, many employers want employees that work hard but have fun. And finally… If you get to interview stage, the chances are the interviewer will want to get to know you. Having done your research and preparation pre interview, you will have checked out the company’s social media profiles and those of its directors/senior management, so social media ‘snooping’ cuts both ways. To view the extended version of this article please visit www.newsontheblock.com Rhys Townsend is senior block management recruitment consultant at BBL Property
employers will want to determine if you’re the right fit for their business. Whatever is on your social media accounts, the employer will make assumptions about you. being invited for an interview, so make sure your online presence won’t hinder you I’m not really active on social media If the candidate is expected to be supportive of the company’s own efforts online, then they may prefer to see that you are active on social media. A LinkedIn profile that is nothing more than a basic online CV won’t do you any favours. A Twitter account that hasn’t tweeted since 2015 may also indicate a lack of commitment. It’s easy to check out people before
19 ISSUE 106
www.newsontheblock.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs