By now you’ve probably heard that social media can make or break your job hunt, and if you haven’t, this is us telling you that social media has the potential to make or break your job application process. With the world of digital marketing constantly evolving, it is important to not only keep up with the skills and tools in the industry, but to also portray your knowledge on the platforms. Employers aren’t looking at your social media to see when the last time you went to a party was, rather they want to see how you are utilizing each platform to create and grow your personal brand, and how that would help their company.
Privacy
With all social platforms, you have the option of what people can see, so take advantage of the setting options, and apply accordingly. If you are afraid a photo from your past can come up to haunt you but are unable to delete or untag it, err on the side of caution and increase your privacy settings for those posts.
Show it off
On the flip side of using privacy settings to cover up posts, social media platforms are an incredible way to display your extracurriculars, personality, and digital marketing skills all in one place. Be consistent, post relevant content that applies to your personal brand, and have fun with it, but make sure you are not just posting to post. Before posting any piece of content onto your platform, ask yourself if it brings value or enhances your personal brand, and then post based on the answer. A very overlooked aspect on these platforms are captions. Though a picture may say a thousand words, a caption can make or break a photo and put it into a totally different context. Don’t overlook the caption and remember that social media was created for the purpose of sharing your activity with friends and family, and now, more than ever, is a hub for creativity, artwork, and personal identities. If you feel that the words on your resume don’t fully exemplify your skillset and you are applying for a job that includes social media, include your platform handles on your resume, and guide them to your profiles. To get your profiles into tip-top shape, use the same apps to edit, use the same filters, and create a layout that flows and appeals to your overarching theme. Social media platforms have their own editing tools but some of our favorites are VSCO, AfterFocus, and Snapseed! If you are working on creating a more cohesive Instagram layout and theme, check out apps such as Snug, Plann, and Unum. For platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, quality images are just as important, so don’t give all the attention to Instagram.
What do you want to say?
Now that you have hidden what you don’t want seen and have a platform to work off of to show your skills and personal brand, get creative! Show off your photography skills, clever captions, hidden talents, and passions. Another great way to share your creativity and voice is to join various groups and pages! If your dream job is more creative, channel that through your profiles. Not only can social media platforms help your application process, they could even attract future employers to you before you even apply, just make sure you are properly utilizing each platform to its fullest!
Ready to start your job hunt now that your social media has never looked better? Check out our current job opportunities here, and for more insights on what skills you should brush up on as a Digital Marketer, check out our toolkit! Click here to access our free Job Toolkit for everything you need to know about today’s most in-demand jobs.