It’s said a picture can say a thousand words, and in terms of our social media profiles we should consider the picture we are portraying to the world, and in particular, to potential employers. We’ve all been told we should take care not to place content that will portray us in a bad light, but do we take this warning seriously enough?

It is now common practice when hiring to view a candidates various profiles, such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and we should all consider our social media footprint, especially when entering the job market.  Though apprentices may be well known for having fun, it’s never wise to put all your escapades up for everyone to see. All of your Tweets, Posts, Shares, even your email address, are projecting an image of you and your character.

It’s not all bad though, we can use social media to help us land that job, as well as contributing to discussions in your field and networking with others.

Here are some tips to presenting yourself on social media.

1. Look at your own profile with a critical eye; would you employ yourself if you were hiring?
2. Use social media to your advantage; create a profile which makes you stand out from the crowd. And use the space to promote interests and achievements.
3. Sharing or posting industry relevant material will show you are engaged and excited about your career.
4. Following a business on social media can keep you up to date with their latest news, which could give you an edge in an interview situation as you’ll appear pro-active and interested.
5. Don’t post offensive, inappropriate or socially unacceptable material online; most employers would say any posts with drugs, alcohol or weapons do not make a good impression. This doesn’t mean you can’t ever post a picture of yourself having a cold one at the pub again; however a pic of yourself involved in some drinking game doesn’t look good and worse still would be a pic which shows you passed out and surrounded by beer bottles or shot glasses!
6. You may want to adjust your privacy settings.

Basically, use your common sense think about your future career when posting anything is always a good idea. Remember you want to show the best version of yourself. You may want to tidy up images or adjust your privacy settings. Don’t let your social media profile hold you back!

If you are considering an apprenticeship call Smart Employment Solutions today to find out how we can help you on 13 30 24