Out with “dress for the job you want”, in with “use social media to get the job you want”

A big thank you Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn for making millennial’s lives even more difficult. Not that I am not head over heels obsessed with social media, because ask anyone who knows me, I am. But, before this social media whirlwind struck, the only first impression recruiters had was that of your first interaction.

Now, if they feel so inclined, they can see what I wore for my Halloween party last year, where I went on my family vacation, and find out who I like to hang out with. Ya… That french maid costume you may have worn a couple years back… Maybe go back and delete the evidence.

You’re wondering, “have you never heard of privacy settings?”

Yes. I have. And if you want to hide everything from your potential boss, go for it. If you’re on private because you’re hiding things, your true colors will come out eventually. If you’re totally hidden because you’re paranoid that allowing anyone to see your profile picture will draw stalkers to you, then that’s a different story.

But, here’s a thought, if the latter is not your reasoning, then why not maximize on your social media? It’s just another way to promote yourself and stand out among the sea of millennials.

So, its time to take the reins of your social media account. Show employers how great you are through your tweets, instagrams, and Facebook pictures.

Don’t make it a chore

Your job may involve some, if not a lot of social media, especially going into creative fields. If you barely use your own social media, why would a recruiter think you’d be any good at using theirs? Show off those social media skills of yours and have fun doing it.

Word to the wise: don’t annoy your non-recruiter following by posting an individual picture with every single person at last night’s dinner party, they will unfollow you.

The Social Media Mullet

Give your social media a mullet: business in the front, party in the back. I use the term party loosely, see next section: Friend your Grandma. You don’t have to be all business all the time to promote yourself via social media.

I.e. if you run a 5k, first off, props. Second off, show it off on Facebook. If you are at an amazing NYC rooftop brunch, don’t leave without an Instagram of your “Eggcellent Meal”. And if you go on vacation to the beach, a hotdog or legs picture is mandatory, with or without the overused caption. These make you well rounded, people.

Friend your grandma

If you’re friends with your grandma on social media (and didn’t half-block her so she can solely see the angelic side of you) then you should be good on this.

Post pictures of you happily loving life; no emo, heart-wrenching status should ever be made public. Ever. This isn’t sorority recruitment either; if you’re legally allowed in there, you don’t have to remove every picture of you in a bar. But as per grandma standards, keep it classy.

People want to work with happy, fun people and if your social media platforms emphasize your good attitude, it will help.

Break out the clever, clutter-less captions

Bear with me. Writing is key for any job. However, if you’re interested in a creative field, this is uber important. What better way to prove that you can be creative than 140 character tweets and short Instagram captions? Ok well there are probably better ways, but as far as first impressions via social media, this is the best way.

Keep it clean. Puns are recommended. And funny works, guys.

RT

If you want to make a splash in the marketing industry at some point, retweet marketing articles. If you want Dr. in front of your name, retweet medical articles, and so on and so forth. This shows you’re actually interested in that industry and not just riding the coat tail of society.

Right now, go follow 5 top twitter accounts in the industry you love and start retweeting them. Come back so I can finish my rambling, though.

Show off your friends

Believe it or not, most jobs aren’t just you and your boss working side by side. You’ll be attending office happy hours and work parties, so pictures of you embracing social skills are good. Even a happy group selfie is okay, thank you Ellen DeGeneres and the Oscars for making that cool.

All in all, everything is good in moderation. Be you, because if you’re being career stalked, then they are out to find out more about you. It’s up to you to make sure they like what they see. So, be brave, take yourself off private and start promoting yourself via social media for the job you want.

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