E-reputation, or why take care of your online presence.
You went to a job interview with a nice outfit, you thought you had answered all the questions of the recruiter in front of you and come out confident, but you are called back the next day to tell you that your application has not been accepted. , it is misunderstanding. What if your candidacy was played on a Facebook post or on your last tweet?
The principle of e-reputation
You have certainly used the internet to prepare for your interview by seeking information on the company, and the recruiter opposite has done the same thing for you. Today, if 95% of candidates find out about their future employer, more than 70% of recruiters also conduct research* upstream of candidate interviews to complete their analyses. To put the odds on your side, pay attention to your image and control your e-reputation (or online reputation).
Have you ever tried typing your name into the Google search bar? Give it a try, you might be surprised at the result. Our passages on the internet and the interactions we have on the various social networks leave traces, often visible to everyone, and everything you say can be used against you. Let's discover together how to turn social networks to your advantage for your next interviews, and the pitfalls to avoid.
Our advice to control your e-reputation
- Check what the internet says about you: Google yourself. Start by carrying out an audit of what the internet says about you, what appears on search engines when you type your first and last name. Following this, you can then identify the content associated with your social accounts, such as this old photo posted by a friend on Facebook during a drunken evening, and act accordingly by deleting this degrading content for your image.
- Secure your accounts. If you don't want recruiters to have access to your Facebook photos or your latest tweets, the solution is simple: limit accessibility to your accounts as much as possible and switch them to “private” mode. Thanks to this, only your relatives and friends will be able to access your content. Each social network has its own procedure, which you will find in the “Settings” category.
- Post positive and empowering content. If you want to keep your social accounts public, then avoid exposing yourself too ostentatiously and directly. Social networks are a great way to put yourself forward, use them wisely to talk about, for example, your passion for photography or your practice of a high-level sport. These activities that describe you are quality sources that may appeal to recruiters.
- Do not neglect professional networks. You are professionals, and there are platforms to express yourself and be seen as such. If you haven't yet, consider signing up at LinkedIn or Viadeo, which are not dedicated to private content, and show recruiters a positive image of modernity by using these tools. You can also create your CV directly online, for example with the specialized site doyoubuzz. A quick-to-learn tool that can make a difference to a recruiter.
- Be active every day. If you choose to be present on social networks, consider feeding them. Abandoned social accounts could send the wrong message to recruiters. Remember to update your profile photos, develop your contact lists and above all share relevant content on professional topics. This strategy will have the effect of increasing your visibility with potential employers and will testify to your seriousness.
What not to do on social media
If the few tips that we have just mentioned above may be optional and above all allow you to secure your reputation online, know now that certain content is simply to be avoided on the Internet.
- Do not share compromising content. Your privacy is yours, and what you do in the private sphere should not interfere with your applications. So much for the theory, but practice shows the opposite. Always show yourself under a favorable profile, avoid posting, for example, photos that show you in devaluing situations for your image.
- Do not denigrate your employers. Posting degrading messages about your current employer or a former employer will be very badly perceived by recruiters. You also expose yourself to sanctions with the targeted employer. Yet you thought you were protected behind a pseudonym? Be careful, because information circulates on the internet and everything can be known very quickly…
- Don't get into controversy. One of the foundations of our democracy is freedom of expression, and social platforms are also there to allow people to express themselves. But even if freedom of expression is essential, making hate speech, too politically assertive or proliferating insults can make a potential recruiter uncomfortable. Keep your opinions private.