The internet has become an essential tool for all job seekers. Searching for jobs online and sending resumes by email are now standard practice. However, the rise of social media websites is changing the role of the internet in job search. 
Recruiters have the ability to access more candidate information than ever before. With a few key strokes, pre-employment checks can go far beyond determining the accuracy of the job history listed in your resume. Consider taking a few simple steps to ensure that your social media profile won’t let you down.
It is becoming increasingly important to have a current profile on LinkedIn or similar networking websites. Spend as much time and attention constructing your online profile as you would when writing a traditional resume. Ensure that the information you are listing is accurate. Highlight key responsibilities and achievements in each of the roles you have previously held. Increasingly, virtual networks are becoming a rich source of candidates for headhunters.
Take time to cultivate contacts on networking websites. Join in with relevant discussions in work-related forums, making positive contributions that are consistent with the image that you wish to portray to future employers. Time invested in building your online brand will pay off when you are searching for your next career move.
Be aware that recruiters will not limit themselves to work-related websites where you may be posting information which you intend them to view. They may also cross-reference your application with informal social media sites, such as Facebook and Bebo. Check your social media profiles for embarrassing photographs or tales of drunken exploits that may put future employers off hiring you. Take steps to edit or delete any content which does not fit with your professional image.
Think very carefully before sounding off about employment issues on Twitter or blogging websites. Entries on social media websites often appear short-lived as the feed is constantly changing. However, these entries are not deleted. They are simply stored away and may still appear in future search results. Old tweets and blogs written in the heat of the moment may not reflect the image you want to portray to prospective employers.
As Lisa Morris, regional director of Hays Human Resources, explains in Human Resources Magazine Online, “We expect the use of social media checks to become more mainstream in 2011. No longer will it be just the savvy employers that use social media to cross-reference a candidate’s employment history or evaluate potential employees. The lines between social and business sites have blurred and social media profiles will be viewed just as often as an employer searches a name via Google.”
Take some time to search for yourself online. What you find will be available to recruiters and future employers. Delete or edit any content that you would be uncomfortable revealing in an interview setting. Be sure that your online profile reveals a highly motivated and employable candidate.
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