5 Social Media Mistakes Made by Executive Job Searchers

social media mistakes

5 Social Media Mistakes Made by Executive Job Searchers

Hiring managers and recruiters are using social media more than ever to find and pre-screen candidates, and they’re not just using LinkedIn. As a result it’s important to avoid some of these major social media mistakes while doing your executive job search.

 

Not having a professional online presence.

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes job hunters make is not having a professional online presence. This results in recruiters finding a lot of personal photos and musings but nothing about how you’re a great candidate for the job. Having your professional history and achievements documented online is a crucial component to recruiters and hiring managers seeing you as a thought leader and contributor to your profession and industry.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you use Facebook to connect with friends and family that it shouldn’t be professional. The same goes for Twitter. The truth is you never know who is watching and recruiters are pre-screening candidates on social media more than ever before.

Bad-mouthing companies on social media.

Similar to bad-mouthing former employers in a job interview, bad-mouthing any company on social media can make you look like an unprofessional loose cannon.

The key to remember here is that this includes any company, not just your former employers. Reason being that a recruiter may see that you’ve bad-mouthed a similar product or service. Furthermore, companies are merging so fast it’s hard to keep up so you might accidentally bad-mouth the potential employer.

Lastly, it is important to demonstrate sound judgment and decorum online, as how you conduct yourself online will ultimately be a reflection of the company that hires you.

Being inappropriate online.

Take the Senator Andrew Weiner and US Airways’ social media mishaps as a cautionary tale: if you’re indiscreet on social media it will blow up in your face.

Remember, the entire world is looking at what you post online so make sure to keep it clean and appropriate. In fact, recent data from CareerBuilder and Forbes showed that 65% of recruiters use social media to see a candidate’s professionalism in terms of social conduct. Make sure what they are seeing is authentic, but appropriate.

Undermining your own accomplishments.

Many people hate to talk about their accomplishments in person. It turns out they also feel uncomfortable doing it online.

However, if you don’t tell the recruiter how good you are, they’re not going to know. This applies both online and in the real world.

Make sure to share your accomplishments on your social media pages. You should also do it in real time for a better effect. In other words, don’t wait until three months after you receive an award to announce it on social media.

Oversharing information.

You need to avoid overwhelming recruiters with a lot if information at once. This is easily avoidable on Twitter where you only have 140 characters to work with, however it can be a challenge on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Rather than cloning your resume on LinkedIn or writing essays on Facebook try short sentences and bullet points. You can also always link to all your other profiles where the recruiter can find more information. By the way, make sure that all your profiles are up to date when you do this.

For more information on how to leverage social media for your job hunt check out our FREE eBook, 99 Job Search Tips from An Executive Recruiter: Using Social Media and Traditional Networking to Find Your Next Job.

Be Well!

Lisa

Lisa Rangel – Executive Resume Writing Services

Chameleon Resumes

Daily Career Tips

optin-newsletter

Landing your next job doesn't have to be an overwhelming, frustrating or time-sucking task. Get daily tips on how to find the position you deserve,  delivered right to your inbox:

  • The #1 addition every resume needs in 2024 and beyond.
  • How to get prepared for a job change even if you like the job you have.
  • How to handle a chaotic job market and where to focus your job-seeking efforts (hint, it’s not the job boards).
  • Where to find great jobs without submitting 500 meaningless job applications.
  • How to slice through the Applicant Tracking System B.S. and land a 6- figure role you love.
  • How to track down the “unpublished job market” and have your pick of the best jobs out there.
  • How to write a resume that will hit hiring managers right between the eyes and have them scrambling to book your interview.
  • How to get up to speed with your online branding and write a LinkedIn profile that positions you as the #1 expert in your field.
  • How to approach job seeking with the “human touch” so you can keep the bots at bay.
  • And finally, access to our 4-stage META Job Landing system we’ve used with thousands of job seekers just like you.
icon

About Chameleon Resumes

The Chameleon Resumes team, led by CEO Lisa Rangel, stands out as the premier executive resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and job landing consultancy. As the only firm hired by LinkedIn and recognized by Forbes in this space, we bring unparalleled expertise to your career advancement journey. Our proprietary 4-Stage META Job Landing System™ is the culmination of decades of corporate and executive recruiting and executive resume writing experience. This proven methodology is designed to position you strategically for your next 6- or 7-figure role, ensuring you stand out in a competitive job market.

logos-desktop

Looking for an article on a particular topic? Use the search below...