Originally posted by: J. Patrick + Associates

J.Patrick+Associates LogoHiring managers and recruiters are using social media more than ever to find and pre-screen candidates, and they’re not just using LinkedIn. As a result it’s important to avoid some of these major social media mistakes while doing your executive job search.


Not having a professional online presence.

Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes job hunters make is not having a professional online presence. This results social media mistakes made by executives 300x200in recruiters finding a lot of personal photos and musings but nothing about how you’re a great candidate for the job. Having your professional history and achievements documented online is a crucial component to recruiters and hiring managers seeing you as a thought leader and contributor to your profession and industry.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you use Facebook to connect with friends and family that it shouldn’t be professional. The same goes for Twitter. The truth is you never know who is watching and recruiters are pre-screening candidates on social media more than ever before.

Bad-mouthing companies on social media.

Similar to bad-mouthing former employers in a job interview, bad-mouthing any company on social media can make you look like an unprofessional loose cannon.

The key to remember here is that this includes any company, not just your former employers. Reason being that a recruiter may see that you’ve bad-mouthed a similar product or service. Furthermore, companies are merging so fast it’s hard to keep up so you might accidentally bad-mouth the potential employer.

Lastly, it is important to demonstrate sound judgment and decorum online, as how you conduct yourself online will ultimately be a reflection of the company that hires you.

To view this post in its entirety, visit the J Patrick + Associates blog at http://www.jpatrick.com/our-blog/bid/206736/5-Social-Media-Mistakes-Made-by-Executive-Job-Searchers