It is ‘regulation’ for recruiters and employers to now check the LinkedIn profile of prospective employees.  They will want to see a professional representation of the candidate – so the LinkedIn profile needs to be every bit as professional and consistent with what appears on the CV.  Indeed, the LinkedIn profile may in time even supersede the CV.

So not only is it becoming paramount to have LinkedIn profile as a job seeker-it needs to be professional.

Whilst this may be ‘common sense’ to many, the lesser known pitfall to watch is your social media profile in other areas, e.g. Facebook.  Many recruiters and employers will now do a quick Facebook check on job seekers to get a ‘feel’ for the individual.  Is there anything – photos, comments, friends- on your Facebook page that you don’t want a prospective employer or recruiter to see?  Pictures of wild partying or goofing off work?  Posts about being too hung-over to go to work?  Malicious personal attacks on others?

What you post is your own business of course-just be aware that it may be more than your friends accessing these images and information.

There are some real horror stories out there- I know many instances where recruiters have discounted a candidate on the basis of their Facebook profile even though their credentials were otherwise sound.  Be very careful on how you represent yourself in all social media – what you have ‘out there’ is only a click away!

Oh, and as for existing employees, don’t think that employers don’t sometimes check you out on Facebook and other media also.

Is your social media profile representing you to the world in the best possible light?