Social media is an outstanding tool to expand your network, gain fresh perspectives, meet new people, and watch impressive dance videos. Leveraging the right social media platforms can also help you level up your job or career. But don’t commit a faux pas that could prevent you from getting hired.
Here are five sensible tips and three ways to harness social media in your next job search.
- Secure your profiles. Beef up your privacy settings and consider making your profiles private — if you haven’t done so already. Potential employers will try to learn whatever information they can about you.
- Monitor what you post and comment. Not every photo or video needs to be uploaded to your platforms. Delete or hide any questionable photos or posts and watch what you say or comment. Avoid foul language or rude remarks.
- Practice caution with new followers and connections. Whilst you can’t control the online presence of others, you can control your connections to them.
- Google yourself. Enter your name, any nicknames, and common misspellings of your name, and see what comes up. If you spot an issue, try to fix it before a possible employer finds it.
- Keep work and life separate. Professional updates are great for platforms like LinkedIn but keep more casual postings and tweets to your other favourite platforms.
Use social media to enhance your career
How you handle yourself on your platforms matters, but you can also use social media as a powerful tool to help you find a career that aligns with your passions.
- Scroll through hashtags. If you’re considering switching careers entirely, but unsure of where to begin, pull up your favourite social media platform and start scrolling through hashtags. Pick a field that interests you or one where you may want to learn more, like #accounting. You can gain first-person insights of someone in the profession, discover professional organisations, and scope out potential employers.
- Network and connect. If you find a profession or possible employer that aligns with your interests and passions, reach out and try to establish connections. And be sure to continue interacting with your existing professional network.
- Maintain your profiles. Being on certain platforms, like LinkedIn, boosts your visibility. Recruiters routinely mine certain websites looking for candidates and your up-to-date profile can be a great find — even if you’re not actively looking for a job.
Level up your future
It’s never too late to explore new opportunities, grow your skill set, and start a new career — and social media can be a window to a whole new world.
If you’re looking for a dynamic and meaningful career, consider the accounting profession and earning your Chartered Global Management Accountant® (CGMA®) designation. Data analytics, cybersecurity, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) are just a few of the in-demand areas where management accountants lend their expertise. As a management accountant, you can positively influence a company’s strategic goals and priorities and help shape the future of business and finance on important social topics like ESG.
