Social networking sites are more popular than ever and are increasingly important tools for job seekers and employers alike. When you are looking for a job or positioning yourself for career growth, it is important to have an online presence where you can showcase your skills and experience. However, use your common sense and don’t let your social networking get you into trouble! Here are some of my top tips:

DO:

1) Create an online presence

Establishing a company website and/or LinkedIn profile is always a good start.  Have you ever tried Googling yourself? Is the available information supportive of your professional image/reputation? Can your target audience access your profile?

2) Connect

Associate yourself with like-minded individuals or professional groups; this will help build your status in your industry. By joining industry forums you will also gain access to market updates and be able to exchange ideas with industry counterparts.

3) Be professional and consistent

Does your online identity correspond to your CV? What do your Facebook and LinkedIn profiles and pictures say about you? What valuable connections could you make through these sites? Ensure you have applied the appropriate privacy settings to your profiles. You would not want your boss to see embarrassing photographs of you drunk the day before your annual review!

DON’T:

1) Post funny information on your profile

While it might be good for entertainment value, I would advise not putting random, useless information on your online profiles. For example, some real life LinkedIn examples include: ‘Winner at life’ and ‘Going to be unemployed’ as job titles, and “Common sense” as a specialty. Comments like these are certainly not going to get you very far.

2) Forget the fine print

Before posting those scandalous holiday pictures onto Facebook, you may want to consider the following:

“By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing.”

3) Forget to update

Always remember to update your profiles with any promotion, new qualifications or other important work-related milestones. These are always worth highlighting. But remember, no one needs to know your hangover status.

Facebook, Linkedin, network connections, online presence, Social Media, social networking

Hello world! Mr Damian ‘Darwin’ Rhodes has set a high benchmark with his first blog post and it’s a hard act to follow. Congratulations to him and his lovely fiancé, according to an unnamed source she is ‘human after all’.

Recently, a close friend of mine asked me for interview advice, as he is starting a new job search. As we all know, nailing the interview is the key factor to making a positive career move.

It got me thinking about the Will Smith movie ‘The Pursuit Of Happyness’, a film which shows the value of determination and hard work. There is a great scene in the movie where Will Smith’s character, Chris Gardner interviews for an internship. (If you haven’t seen it, look it up now on Youtube!) His situation leading up to the interview is not an ideal one, however (SPOILER ALERT) based on this interview and his character, he gets the job.

Please see my ‘Pursuit of Happyness’ inspired interview tips below:

Preparation – As well as researching the company, learn more about the individual(s) you will meet. Use the many tools available to prepare, eg LinkedIn, Google, Facebook, or talk to staff or ex-staff of that company. Even though Chris Gardner has no relevant experience in finance, through research, self-study and networking he has put himself in the best position to get the job.

Be yourself – If you try to be somebody you are not, it may come across badly. An interview is a two-way process; it’s a chance for you to learn more about a potential employer. So if there is no chemistry, perhaps that position is not the one for you. Chris is extremely earnest and honest about who he is, ultimately this is a key reason why he is hired.

Build rapport – When Chris enters the room, he takes the effort to go around to each interviewer and greet them indvidually with a handshake. Throughout the interview he also makes sure that he addresses each individual in the room. Establish rapport early, and you will grab the interviewers’ attention.

Tell the truth – Candidates sometimes feel like they need to bend the truth with regards to their experience and achievements. This can come back to hurt you later on down the track. When Chris gets asked about his poor appearance he considers making up a story but instead he tells the truth about his bad luck that day. Many of you wouldn’t tell your future employer that you’ve just been arrested before an interview, but I’ll leave it to your judgement!

Take control – At one point in the interview, Chris feels his chance slipping as his education and credentials are questioned.  He recovers by telling them about the qualities that will make him successful in the job.

Think on your feet – Expect the unexpected. When Chris gets asked, “What would you say if a guy walked in for an interview without a shirt on, and I hired him?”, his response is natural, humorous and very appropriate given the situation (refer to the title of this blog post!). Go with the flow and be prepared to answer non-routine questions.

Passion, persistence and practice – Chris has a personality that displays genuine passion and persistence. He arrived unannounced for a whole month just to get his foot in the door, passion = interest in the eyes of potential employers. It’s also important that you practice your interview technique; practice does make perfect.

Close the interview – If appropriate, ask the interviewer for their feedback and understand the next steps in the interview process. Be sure to re-confirm your interest in the role, and send a short thank-you note after the interview.

I do hope that job seekers will find the above useful.

Until next time!

Facebook, interview tips, Linkedin, The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith