We have already discussed the relevance of having an online identity and how we usually end up having multiple identities to separate various aspects of our lives such as the separation between our social and professional lives.
With the incredible rise of digital influence in day to day, operations are only natural that when looking to the working environment the internet has become a one-stop location where in which many employers or colleagues can research and gather information on potential applicants or current employees.
Social profiles have almost reached the point of replacing a CV to differentiate between applicants and observe ones working history.
For example, when using social media in the professional aspect I believe LinkedIn to be the major social network used. Employers can judge your application via your online identity.
LinkedIn has become a major tool in gaining employment. However, cannot be misused and an online identity must be properly cultivated to be effective. (Fernando, 2014).
LinkedIn requires that when you add past or current work experience it is public to all other people, including those who work for the same company. This prevents people from lying on their LinkedIn profiles making their online identities far more authentic. Furthermore, preventing in-authenticity throughout LinkedIn this means that LinkedIn can and has been used as an effective recruitment tool.
After doing research on developing an effective LinkedIn profile I have decided to look at my own profile. In many areas, I see that I am lacking core information that could help make my profile more engaging. LinkedIn caters towards self-promotion and advocation (Van Dijik, 2013) therefore this requires within a single profile I cover a variety of areas such as; a consistently update biography and qualifications, updated photos that are professional ensuring that there is no inappropriateness presented. To truly make a LinkedIn profile effective there should only be one profile public that prevents other online social networks from affecting another. By this, I mean ensuring there is complete privacy for other social medias such as Facebook that could weaken your LinkedIn profile.
Balancing content is key and there should be a clear separation between public and private social networks. (BBC,2013).
To end in my personal belief when building a LinkedIn profile, it should be considered that you are building a brand with you as the product. This ensures that you seem highly captivating and attractive to employers however a social profile represents you personally and therefore should be separate.
References:
Singer.M, (2015). Welcome to the 2015 Recruiter Nation, Formerly Known as the Social Recruiting Survey. Available: http://www.jobvite.com/blog/welcome-to-the-2015-recruiter-nation-formerly-known-as-the-social-recruiting-survey/.
Hiranya.F, (2014). A Step-By-Step Guide To Getting A Job Through LinkedIn. Available: http://www.businessinsider.com/getting-a-job-through-linkedin-2014-3?IR=T.
Raynier.L, (2017). How to Make a Great LinkedIn Profile – 6 LinkedIn Profile Tips. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27BTcka64wQ
van Dijck. J, (2014). ‘You have one identity’: performing the self on Facebook and LinkedIn. Available: http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0163443712468605.
BBC. (2013). Job hunting: How to promote yourself online. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25217962.
Living and Working on the Web 
Hi Ausaf,
I really enjoyed reading your post, it was both consistent and easy to follow and I liked how you developed your points. Regarding your perspective on CVs almost being overtaken by social media profiles as a method of recruitment, this is something I also explored in my blog. Firstly, do you think that the two are methods that can coexist or do you feel that CVs are becoming outdated and so social media profiles are becoming increasingly more attractive for recruiters?
Also, you gave a very helpful personal account of LinkedIn as a tool that you’ve used yourself. Personally, I don’t have an account but I’m considering registering for LinkedIn, predominantly to network and increase my reachability for potential employers. Although you mentioned that you need to make some changes to your profile (i.e. add more core information), has it been beneficial for networking and job opportunities?
(149)
LikeLike
Hi Lousie,
Thanks very much for taking the time to read and comment on my blog. I am glad you found it enjoyable. Regarding your point on the way in which I believe CV’s have been almost overtaken by social media, I believe this is largely due to accessibility. In the past when either head hunting or searching for new possible employees there was a very limited pool of applicants. This is due to only receiving a certain amount of CV’s when it is very possible that the best applicant for the job had either not applied or put forward their CV. Through social media recruiters can very quickly and easily scout new applicants and by simply looking at one’s online profile they are capable of identifying whether a possible applicant has the necessary experience and skills needed for the job.
In regards to the successfulness of my Linkedin account, I would largely say it’s incredibly useful in relation to networking. I have been to multiple finance network days where in which instead of sharing business cards or any contact details, many employees for multiple firms will just suggest I add them on Linkedin.
Many thanks,
Ausaf
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ausaf,
I do agree with the fact that recruiting through social media definitely makes it easier for employers to do their job, and hire the best person for a role.
I’m glad to hear that your time thus far on LinkedIn has been so successful. I will definitely look into making an account soon.
Thank you for your detailed comment.
Louise
LikeLike
Hi Ausaf,
Really enjoyed reading your blog post this week. It’s well written, concise and adding in your own personal experiences/views really strengthened the post. You mention that recruitment through social media profiles has almost replaced the classic CV in the differentiation of applicants, but I’m interested to know your thoughts on the ethical implications of this process. The Jobvite survey (2014) stated that 55% of recruiters have reconsidered a
candidate based on their social profile, with 61% of those reconsiderations being negative, but, what constitutes a valid reason for reconsideration? Do you think it’s fair that recruiters will make assumptions about people based on personal opinion before actually knowing them? – often disregarding the skills they’ve put forward for the job on their CVs?
Look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Madeleine
LikeLike
Hi Madeline,
Many thanks for reading and commenting on my blog post, I am glad you found it enjoyable. Social media profiles for professional use in personal opinion are far more revealing in comparison to the use of CVs. In essence, one can usually lie on a CV without being caught out as many employers will not fact check every portion of a CV. However, when looking at a social media profile other users will often have a mutual connection or support a claim. Therefore this makes social media profiles more trustworthy to a certain extent. Therefore when a recruiter looks at a social media profile based on their photo, past experience, and history a recruiter is far more capable of developing a first impression of someone’s application. For that reason, I believe far more people are being negatively reconsidered largely just due to the way in which they present their online social profile. ]
Thanks,
Ausaf
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Ausaf!
I really enjoyed reading your blog and found the video on LinkedIn very useful. I really liked how detailed you were when describing how to use LinkedIn and the best ways to improve your profile. I will definitely be using this information when I create my own LinkedIn account.
When you said ‘LinkedIn caters towards self-promotion and advocation (Van Dijik, 2013)’ it raises the issue that users may bend the truth or lie about their achievements. Landers and Schmidt (2016) state that LinkedIn deals with that through allowing users to upload evidence of their publications etc, and that the public nature of their profile means any deceptions are likely to be noticed. I’d love to know what else you think LinkedIn has to offer to prevent this, and if you think this is enough? Are there greater problems that can stem from this?
Looking forward to hearing your response.
Emily
LikeLike