7 Tips on Social Media for Job Seekers

7 Tips on Social Media for Job Seekers Weve all heard the horror stories acareless tweet, a thoughtless photo, and suddenly your whole life comes crashing down. While we hope that youll never face an online scandal of such epic proportions, the fact is that employers may check your online presence along with your references before they hire you. Social media has the potential to make or break your job search, so use it wisely. Here are seven tips for job seekers in the digital age.1. Makethe Most of LinkedInBrad Schepp, coauthor of How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+,recommends not only creating a profile on those sites, but also becoming an active, helpful member of the community. Try to give four times for every time you take, says Schepp. On LinkedIn, that means answering questions, making introductions, and offering endorsements.2. Tweet About ItAccording to Nicole Fa llon, assistant editor at Business News Daily, recruiters are increasingly turning to Twitter to get a sense of potential candidates.When youre looking for a job, a good percentage of your tweets, retweets, and replies should focus on topics that are relevant to the companies you want to work for, Fallon says. You can achieve this by making use of keywords and hashtags that professionals in your field talk about and follow.3. Dont Spread Yourself Too ThinThough you should strive to stay active on social media, that doesnt mean you have to create anaccount on every platform you can find.You want people to know who you are, what you do, and where youre going, says career expert Erin Greenawald. That means picking just one or two platforms to update regularly.4. Stay in the LoopMake sure that your social media profiles are linked to an email address you check every day. You dont want to miss a promising connection because someone reached out through a defunct social media account. If y ou dont already have a professional email address, head over to Gmail and create one right now5. Red (Google) AlertGoogle yourself to see what employers see, career coachCaroline Ceniza-Levineadvises.Set a Google Alert on your name so you check what is on the Internet about you on a regular basis.If you have a very common name, create a mora specific Google Alert that includes your hometown or field of expertise.6. Clean Up Your FacebookThough LinkedIn remains the most popular professional networking site, Career Gliderfound that over a quarter of recruiters also screen candidates through Facebook. Companies like to see engaged, active candidates, but be warned if youre prone to political rants, you should know thatone in six recruiters said that strong political opinions were a turn off.7. Practice Good GrammarIn the Career Glider study, two-thirds of recruiters said they would hold poor spelling and grammar against candidates. Although grammar standards on Twitter and Facebook are more relaxed than LinkedIn, you should always proofread before you postRemember the Internet is forever. For better or worse, our digital selves need to make a good first impression, so bemindful of your social media profile. You never know whos watchingDo you have a social media success story or cautionary tale? Share it in the comments