It is no secret that potential employers look at the social media profiles of prospective employees. A decade ago, recruiters used to say that social media can only make you look bad. Today, the days when social media was only for vain, hard-partying teens are long gone. Having social media accounts is better than not having them, if you are a job seeker. Not only will employers look at your profile, so will accounting recruitment agencies. Los Angeles is a very image conscious place, but that does not mean that your social media pages have to be drop-dead gorgeous. Here is what they do look at when they view your social media accounts:
Truthfulness and Consistency
It goes without saying that your social media profiles should look professional. They also should not contradict anything you told your prospective employer in your resume or in an interview. If your resume mentions that you worked in Chicago financial jobs for a year, but your social media profile says nothing about them, employers might get suspicious. If you have several social media profiles, they might not all have the same level of detail. Nonetheless, they should not contradict each other.
Show Your Best Side
You shouldn’t brag in interviews, but social media is a good place to list your accomplishments. List your awards and memberships in professional associations. Just do it in a matter of fact way; employers will get the impression. Toned down bragging on social media is perfectly fine. Don’t worry that you will sound as shallow and annoying as all the humblebrags on Facebook.
Having social media profiles is a good way to show employers that you have nothing to hide. Just make sure that your social media pages reflect the professional image you want to project.