Why Your Online Reputation Can Make or Break Your Career

Arkansas Hiring and Employment trends in 2021

Central Arkansas employers are researching job candidates’ social media profiles more and more frequently. Discover whether your digital presence is helping or hurting your chances of finding employment in Little Rock and surrounding cities.

Building an online presence can be an effective way to improve your chances of getting a dream job, but only if it is done right. Post unprofessional content on a social media account associated with your name and you will run the risk of making a negative impression on potential employers in Central Arkansas. The following information on how social media can hurt your career will help you better manage your online reputation.

Mistakes to Avoid

Finding employment in Little Rock is much easier when you maintain a professional image on social media at all times. Keep in mind that many hiring managers routinely perform online searches to find information on applicants. This makes it important to choose the content and photos that are associated with your name carefully. Whether you are cleaning up your social media profiles or adding new content, avoid the following:

  • Photos Involving Alcohol: Photos that show you with a beer or other alcoholic beverage in your hand can give employers an immediate negative reaction to you despite your abilities and qualifications.
  • Complaints About Past Jobs: It is common for people to vent about work-related frustration on social media, but it could cost you a potential job offer. Complaining about customers, clients, supervisors, or other aspects of your job makes you look unprofessional to hiring managers.
  • Offensive Content: Posting status updates, links, or photos that are controversial is a definite mistake. You might find them amusing, but employers could see you as someone who will bring negative attention to the company. People who are not careful about their personal and professional reputations are often considered liabilities.

Improvements to Consider

Once you have learned how social media can hurt your career, you can begin to make your online reputation work in your favor. Use the following tips to impress hiring managers and polish up your social media profiles when searching for employment in Central Arkansas:

  • Quality Profile Photos: Choose a photo that makes you look professional instead of using a candid shot or selfie. Avoid using obscure images of locations, animals, or objects as your profile photos on social media.
  • Separate Profiles: Allow employers to learn more about you professionally without giving up personal privacy. You can do this by maintaining separate profiles for your professional and personal lives. If creating separate profiles seems like too much work, keep in mind that you can adjust privacy settings on individual social media profiles and posts to safeguard personal information.

If you’re looking for a new job, check out our Job Openings page + to see what’s available. Apex Staffing specializes in connecting talented job seekers with high-quality, local employers. Our service is completely free for job seekers and we are always accepting applications.