Last week, I spoke about the factors that could influence a potential employer against hiring you. This week I am going to concentrate on the factors that could positively influence employers and force them to hire you.
Social networking sites are a powerful tool, and they are being used by employers to get more than an innocent sneak peek into your life. According to a recent survey done by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com, if used efficiently, your Facebook profile could help you bag a job (who ever said Facebook was a waste of time?).
18 percent of employers admitted that they hired candidates after they were impressed with their behavior and profile on social networking sites. The candidates and their social networking profiles were evaluated on several aspects and the employers expressed satisfaction at the overall personality of candidates after viewing their online profiles and hired them. Given below are some statistics displayed in the survey:
Profile displayed a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit - 50 percent
The candidate’s profile demonstrated accurate and required professional qualifications - 39 percent
Candidate had a creative personality - 38 percent
Candidate displayed good communication skills - 35 percent
Candidate was a complete package - 33 percent
Candidate received recommendations from other people - 19 percent
Candidate received awards- 15 percent
With the advent and rise of social networking, it is no surprise that employers seek to use these as tools to evaluate candidates. In its true essence, it translates into a virtual interview, with the candidate being unaware of the microscopic focus placed on him.
The number of employers who are going to exploit these social networking sites is on the rise, and as time passes, it could well become a social norm. If taken in a positive sense, this effectively means that candidates can play a major role in their hiring process. Hence, job seekers need to start taking their online profiles more seriously than they do, and make sure that it is appealing to employers.
For tips on how to clean up your profile and utilize it to secure a job, be sure to read the next blog!
