When the internet first became open to the public in the early 90’s no-one really knew what to do with it. I remember those early days, sitting in a chat room talking nonsense to strangers and waiting hours to download a low-quality j-peg. It was awkward, slow and pretty empty. I, like many others, didn’t see where the future of the internet lay.
Fast forward 25 years and we barely understand how we survived without it prior to it’s inception and subsequent launch. There isn’t much that you can’t do on it nowadays. The explosion of internet services has been phenomenal and continues to grow to this day.
One very large and key sector of the internet that has taken centre stage over the last 15 years or so is social media. Whilst the big 3, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn dominate our webwaves, other social media sites have come and gone too. Whilst many of the older generation limit what they post on social media, younger generations have been more than willing to post and share every aspect of their personal lives.
Too much Info?
One possible drawback of this oversharing culture that has evolved is that employers are now starting to use those very accounts to assess your worthiness for a job role. Whilst you and your mates might enjoy sharing your drinking pics each weekend and see it as a mark of your social status and popularity, employers can see it as a sign of irresponsibility and excess.
Recent studies have shown that a large proportion of employers now use social media to screen candidates, with some going as far as to not offer an interview or position to someone based on what they have seen on their social media accounts.
Equally concerning is that less than a third of young social media users have posted content they have worried may affect their future prospects. This means that the rest are posting content with no real thought about its effects on their futures.
Most people who use LinkedIn keep their accounts neat and tidy because they know that this channel is specifically for employers. They have curated their accounts to show the best of their abilities and use it as an addition to their CV when applying for jobs. The problem is, employers are still more likely to screen your Facebook account than your LinkedIn account (65% to 63% respectively). This shows that employers are not only interested in your work fit, but also your social fit into the company.
Is this fair?
Yes and No. It is understandable that employers want to know everything they can about a candidate before making a hiring decision, but some argue that the act could be illegal if it was the only deciding factor in not employing someone.
Luckily, new laws and regulations coming into effect could see people have the ability to have certain social media posts deleted from the internet. GDPR legislation will also give people the right to remove all their personal data from some companies records.
The new regulations will also state that employers should require ‘legal grounds’ before snooping on a candidates’ private life.
Any positive notes?
Of course, we’re not saying social media is bad. In fact, it can also be just as useful in getting a job sometimes. A well-managed and curated social media account can showcase your personality, creativity, communication skills and sociability.
Many youngsters have benefitted from utilising social media to get interviews. Being as they have grown up with social media, they will be a lot better at working the system than the older generation will.
A good example of this would be Matthew Epstein who created a YouTube video in the hunt for his dream job. The video went viral and led to interview offers from the likes of Google and Apple.
Overall, social media can be both a bonus and a bane in your job search depending on how you use it. Some good advice would be to give your account an overhaul, remove any undesirable pictures, statuses or comments and check your privacy settings. If you’re savvy with your accounts, you could just save yourself from not getting that dream job you wanted.
