Yes, You Received 50 Likes, but Will a Future Employer Like That Semi Naked Photo of You Too?

Social media in 2016 is extremely prevalent in the lives of recruitment consultants. The way candidates manage their online presence is usually an indicator of how they will present in person. I remember when I first started working at people2people, I was going through some training with one of our senior consultants on how to review resumes. The thing that surprised me the most was the detailed and methodical process that this consultant went through before calling potential candidates for the advertised position. This is now a process I follow meticulously.

First, I check the candidate's name in a Google search. This is a quick way to find out if the candidate has their own blog, website or large following on social media.

This can be very useful if I am recruiting a role within the creative or marketing space. Second, I will check if they have set up a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn profiles are fantastic for personal branding. If a candidate has an up to date resume, together with a professional looking photo, this is usually a great sign that they are serious about their job search. Third, and most of the time the last step, is to check if they have an active Facebook profile.

Facebook is largely used for sharing personal photos and comments with friends and family. Photos of drunken nights out, offensive language and politically charged opinionated posts should be kept private. Ultimately, you wouldn't want a recruitment consultant or potential employer to disregard your otherwise excellent application based on what could be perceived as extreme personal opinions and/or previous reckless behaviour.