You and Your Web Presence

>> We've all been there. We log into our Facebook account, we see a picture or a post from last night's shenanigans that makes us want to disappear. Where's a magician when you need 1, am I right? [ Music ] >> Times, they are a changing, and when it comes to getting a job, social media can be a positive tool or an absolute deal breaker. To be honest, I think we're, we're getting to the point where resumes don't mean as much as, or they won't mean as much as your web presence. These sort of public-facing pages, that sort of, you know, display your personality to people, I think that's going to be really important because that's going to be, it's such a great way to sort of know what a person is, you know? I mean, you can't really learn that much in a 15-minute interview. Many companies these days are looking at your social media accounts to gauge what type of person you really are, not in a 30-minute interview but in your everyday life. >> When I do interviews, I, I read the, the resumes 2 or 3 times and I actually take notes and I, I pretty much frame my questions based on what I read on the resume and what I find on the internet. So, the other advice I would tell all people is make sure you know what's on the internet because you can find out a lot about a potential candidate just by, you know, going to Facebook or, you know doing Googles on, on a person's name. It's, it's always amazing to me how much I learn. >> Here's a stat for you - of 23 hiring managers, 43 percent of looked at social media networks and one third dismissed candidates because of what they found. On sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, once you put something out there, you can't get it back and what many people don't understand is that when it comes to social media, perception is reality. You can't explain yourself later. If it walks and talks like a fool, it's probably a fool. >> We didn't have the social media. We also didn't have the instantaneous response time that we have now with Twitter and text messaging, and I think that be careful to refine your communication skills to the point where you can still speak professionally because odds are, in an entry-level job you're going to be reporting to someone significantly older, at least for the time being. >> Let's take a look at the 4 main reasons why a hiring manager might research your web presence. Roll it, Jimmy. Number 1, to get a good feel for your personality. Number 2, to gauge your professionalism. Number 3, to confirm any claims about your qualifications. And number 4, to gain evidence of your well rounded and wide range of interests. >> I research every candidate that comes across my desk. If you don't have any social profiles, you're immediately out. I'm not going to hire you. What does your Twitter bio say? What does your Linkedin bio say? Do you, are you on Google Plus? Are you on Facebook? What are those, what is that story you're consistently telling across those suite of services? >> Now that we know why hiring managers might research your social networks, let's take a look at some of the things to avoid doing, some surefire ways to put you out of the running for a job. Provocative or inappropriate photos or posts. Content about drinking or using drugs. Badmouthing a previous employer. Sharing confidential information from a previous job. Showcasing poor communication skills. Discriminatory comments based on race, gender or religion. And finally, telling lies about your qualifications. What seems like common sense happens all too often. Show some good judgment and restraint when it comes to social media and avoid seeing all your hopes and dreams fly away at the sound of a tweet. Tweet, tweet, you're fired.