During the last 12 months many job interviews have been held on online platforms and therefore more prominent checks on candidates are being carried out as such.
Everyone understandably has the right to a personal and social life but not paying enough attention to your personal details could dampen your online reputation and ruin your chances of getting the job offer. All of your social media profiles are likely to be searched and taken into consideration by the company as part of their hiring decision. It is vital to ensure any personal information that the potential employer can access sends the right message about you.
There are lots of important things to consider prior to a job interview, but here are a few simple things that possibly get overlooked:
1. Your Current Email Address:
Review your email address. Does it sound professional and give the right image / impression of you?
Email addresses like ilovetoparty@… or catlover@… are likely to make a negative impression on any prospective employer. Details like this need to be looked at before you begin your job search and job interview process.
One way of avoiding offering the wrong impressions would be to create an email address that you use only for CV’s, job applications and job interviews. You could set up a new business-like email address with one of the providers that offer free email accounts. A good suggestion for an address would be to simply use your name joeblogs@…………………………
2. Your Voice Mail / Answerphone Message:
Does your current voicemail message sound clear and professional?
Your voicemail should be clear and begin with a greeting stating your first and last name and your contact number. Advise you are currently unable to take the call but to please leave a message and that their call will be returned as soon as possible, end your message with a thank you.
3. Your Social Networking Accounts i.e: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and even YouTube:
Your information on social media can easily be found online by your potential new employers and over 70% of recruiters check social media sites to find out more about job candidates. Unfortunately it is not the case that our social media is just private to you or friends, anybody can search and delve into things so you should check to ensure that there is nothing that will portray a negative impression of you, because believe it or not, your online reputation is important.
One of the many check’s we carry out here at AMC is to “Google search” you and we will find anything you have written or that has been written about you, it is important to consider things like this and it worth checking what the internet holds on you, past and present.
As well as part of an employer’s due diligence, school staff and parents, and even pupils, will be quick to google search a newly appointed member of staff, and particularly a new Head! As well as we all know, school communities are tight knit spaces, where people invest time and effort to become part of a community. Your online profile, both historically and present, is important in casting those vital first impressions, which in this digital world we are immersed in – more so than ever since the Covid pandemic – is here to stay!
