By Dan Simmons

By this time, I imagine you probably know certain things that you should and should not be doing on your social media platforms. Facebook is different than all other social media sites in that it was designed for social interaction before it began diving into the world of advertisements, marketing and job placement. With Facebook, you’re not just connected to your colleagues and business partners like on LinkedIn, but to your Grandmother, Great-Aunt and your closest friends. Putting everyone in the same mixing pot can create some confusion when it comes to what you should “advertise” on your profile. You want to be you, but you should also have an “edited” profile, especially if you’re actively looking for a job.

These are a few helpful Facebook etiquette tips leveraging your Facebook profile in the correct way for a successful job search.

Grammar

  • Go through your profile and make sure all your contractions are correct and your words are clear. It’s also helpful to have a second pair of eyes look over your words. Even the best writers make mistakes, have typos and overlook the obvious errors. This won’t show how great of a writer you are, but it won’t detract from your profile either.

Privacy Settings

  • Everyone is entitled to have a good time on vacation or throwing a friend a bachelor/bachelorette party. Do keep in mind that most pictures today end up on Facebook after such an event. Make sure your privacy settings are set to only those who should be seeing those types of pictures. You don’t want your future employer signing on to your profile to get the full “Vegas Experience” from pictures on your profile. Remember: “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

Follow companies you want to work for

  • Before you go and apply for a job, check out the company. One of the easiest ways is to connect on their Facebook fan page. Doing this before you send in your resume or sit down for an interview shows initiative and forethought.

No badmouthing

  • Watch your language and who you talk about on your Facebook. No one likes someone that is badmouthing a former boss or colleague. Keep it positive. An employer could question whether you might do the same thing to them or their company if you weren’t happy.

Of Course….Keywords

  • Search-ability is one of the biggest things I stress. You have to be able to be found. Key wording your Facebook profile with information on what you do, where you work and what you’ve done will help you appear in more searches and appear more appealing to an employer looking for that line of work you have listed as one of your interests.

Stay Up-To-Date

  • If you have an account on a social site, be social and be consistent. It shows you’re engaged and are interested in what’s going on around you. Not posting for a year shows you have lost track of your identity on this site.

Change Your Profile Picture

  • Professional. Headshot. Nothing inappropriate. Pretty clear. If you have a question about appropriateness of a picture, it’s not appropriate. Go take a headshot in your “Sunday best,” a nice jacket, collared shirt or blouse and call it a day. If you don’t have those items, then something clear from the neck up is fine.

With this advice on Facebook and our articles on Twitter and LinkedIn, we have provided the basis for you to brand yourself online for a job search.  Apply these principles to YouTube and any other social media sites.

 

Dan Simmons Bio

Dan SimmonsDaniel C. Simmons is a Certified Personnel Consultant who has been recruiting since 1991. Dan has won over twenty awards in the last decade with the Top Echelon Network, America’s leading placement network including Placer of the Year in 2009 & 2010.

Frequently Dan also is a recruiter trainer and has been featured at various Top Echelon Conventions and online as a speaker for various webinars. He has also been published in The Fordyce Letter the recruiting industry’s #1 magazine.

Are You Looking For a Job? Contact Dan Today!