As head of a recruitment company, specialising in online marketing jobs, I am often amazed (and a little bemused) by the number of people who do not realise how important their online social network profiles are when it comes to job applications. With the increasing growth of people signing up to the plethora of social networks available, I feel the need to issue a warning to those of you seeking employment – protect your online persona!

When applying for a job, it is entirely probable that potential employers may research online and peruse your social network profiles in order to find out more about you, to help them decide if you are suitable for online marketing jobs and, more importantly, suitable for the company. People forget that by building multiple online profiles they are leaving behind online breadcrumbs for potential employers to follow. These companies can utilise their findings to aid them in their decision of whether to employ, or even interview, you for their advertised position.

Managing Your Online Persona

If you do not effectively manage your online persona, then you run the risk of leaving your entire online life open for potential employers to scrutinise, and this may not be supportive to your application. I am not suggesting that you never sign up to these networks, but with strategic planning you can successfully manage your online persona to project your image in a more positive and suitable manner for potential employers.

Managing Your Photographs/videos

As you should be looking to project a professional image when searching for online marketing jobs, it might not be advantageous for a future employer to view images of you engaged in drunken acts and other pictures of you on a Friday night. Again, I am not suggesting that you do not have fun and share it with your friends but make sure you set your privacy settings correctly, so that only your friends can see such photos.

Managing Your Posts

I have often seen interviewees, on leaving an interview, posting something unflattering or derogatory about the company on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Suffice to say that they did not get asked to the second interview. Never assume that any prospective employers are not reading your status updates and following you, especially if they think you have some potential. In this day and age it is entirely possible that they are, so make sure you don’t post negative thoughts about the company you would like to work for. On the contrary, why not post about how amazing your interview was and how you would really like to work for them.

Managing Two Profiles

A strategic approach to managing your online persona would be to create two profiles. You can use your ‘private one’ for your friends and then set up a more professional profile that you can fill with interesting posts, statuses, and more family orientated pictures. Make sure the professional profile looks like a complete person, have your family members or other professionals befriend you, and get them to write things on your wall. You could also engage your friends to create their own professional profiles, then everyone can post interesting and professional posts on each other’s walls and this way you will help each other to project a more professional persona. It will be this profile that you invite your employers to examine and to judge you by. One appropriate place to develop such a persona for yourself would be somewhere like Linkedin.

Use your profile to tell a story about yourself

With the employment climate being how it is, and jobs scarce, you don’t want anything that could turn potential employers against you when you apply for jobs. With some astute thinking, you can manipulate your online profiles so that you project the (hopefully accurate) appearance of a proficient and skilful candidate who is very interested in his/her chosen career path. For example, if you are applying for online marketing jobs, you could consider writing informed posts about online marketing and maybe posting on some forums that discuss online marketing topics. This will help employers see that you are not only skilled but also passionate and involved, and the right candidate for the advertised position.

Author Bio: Gail Kenny is the managing director of Gail Kenny Executive Search, a recruitment agency specialising in online marketing jobs . The site caters exclusively to talented individuals with skills and experience to succeed in the travel management, and businesses looking for such candidates.

Category: Business
Keywords: Online Marketing Jobs