Social media has become a fantastic recruiting tool for businesses and HR managers, giving them a good idea of what the candidate’s personality is really like. Don’t be nervous though, there are many ways that social media can work for you and help you land your next job. We’ve put together a list to guide you how to use social media strategically to to help you to get your dream job and avoid making rookie mistakes.

Showcase your resume

Social media by nature is about self-promotion, so why not do just that? Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest could be a great way to set yourself apart from the competition. If you are truly passionate about the job or industry you are applying for, highlight that in your feeds. That could mean participating in Twitter chats with influencers in your industry, posting photos of you at a charity event, creating a board on Pinterest to showcase your portfolio, or even starting important discussions with industry groups through LinkedIn. There is something for everyone under the sun on social media so you are sure to find your niche group if you look hard enough. Just remember that if you start on this route, you need to be conscious about everything that you are posting on social media. You don’t want to overshare.

Stalk and stalk some more

Hiring managers love candidates that come to an interview well prepared and researched. Anyone can memorize the ‘About Us’ page of a company but could they talk about the company culture or values? Find the company you are interviewing for on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn and look through their profile. See what stands out to you, whether that’s employee events, charitable donations made by the company or office locations. This is also a good way for you to determine if the company is a right fit for you as well. Being able to mention in an interview that you like that they have beers on Fridays or quarterly charity events could gain you some major bonus points in your next interview.

 

Synergy is key

Your resume should mirror your LinkedIn profile. Spend some time going through both to ensure they are saying the same thing. Having different objectives, work experiences, or volunteer histories could make you look inconsistent (which is never a good thing to a hiring manager). It’s also important to avoid inconsistencies across social media platforms. This may sound like an obvious statement, but make sure what you’re saying on LinkedIn does not contradict your Facebook and Twitter profiles. You don’t want to say you’re organized and punctual on your resume when you’re constantly using the hashtag #alwayslate on Twitter.

What Would Grandma Say?

Knowing what not to do on social media is as important as knowing what you should do. Here’s a good rule of thumb, if it’s not a picture or post you would show your grandmother, don’t post it. There have been many cases of current employees being fired over posts or pictures they published on their social media accounts, why put yourself at risk? No one cares that you drank a personal record in tequila shots in one night or that you bought the latest line from Victoria Secret. Posting pictures like these could cause a future employer to see you as a liability, or unfit for their culture. If you really feel the need to share these pictures, that’s what Snapchat and texting are for. Don’t put yourself at risk of losing the job before you even have it.

If it is super important for you to be posting pictures you probably shouldn’t then at least make your account private. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn all have the ability to hide the content of your feed from outside viewers. However, you will want to make sure your profile picture and bio are presentable as these are still viewable by the general public.

As you can see, social media is not just a platform to catch up on your latest gossip. Using the different platforms strategically could help you land your dream job.