No matter how good is your cover letter or CV, there is always a possibility for recruiter/hiring manager to check on your online presence. Not only that qualification to perform in a job is important, but hiring people with a good / positive attitude is equally the same.

It has become a more common practice nowadays where recruiter/hiring manager will check candidate’s social media presence before the interview process begin or before the job offer process.

Here are some tips to build your online presence:

• Make sure to make your account in private and only available to those in your networking connection. This goes particularly for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
• It is very common nowadays that recruiter will browse your linkedin profile. Thus, please ensure you post professional topic in your Linkedin account instead of your everyday private lives. Remember that Linkedin is professional networking platform.
• Be selective to post pictures in your social media account. Although it may not seems fair for them to judge you by a single picture, but that one picture may hurt your personal image / their impression towards you.
• Avoid bad mouthing people (your boss, colleagues, companies) in the social media. Even though you have set your social media account into private, you cannot control if people in your networking circle will share news to others.
• Choose your content wisely. Think first before posting.

Of course, you still have freedom to use your social media but there is no hurt for always be cautious on what you post. This is just an advice to be aware. To put perspective into balance, recruiter/hiring manager should not only rely on social media image and have to take everything into balance before decision to hire.

Aprilia Patriani

Managing Partner – APG Consult