How can social media affect your job opportunities?

• Positive impact

Social media is a powerful modern marketing tool that you can use to build your professional brand or business. When you create a strong online footprint, you can showcase your skills, experience, and even samples from your work portfolio. You also can engage with other professionals from your industry.

• Negative impact

Social media also has a downside, in that you no longer have privacy concerning your personal life to a degree, if you use it extensively. This might not be a problem but can be if you tend to post provocative or inappropriate content on social media. Employers often look at social media profiles to gauge your brand and decide if you are a proper fit for a job.

• Screening

As was just briefly mentioned, it has become somewhat customary, in certain industries, for employers to screen job candidates by reviewing their social media profiles. This has become a legitimate part of some organizations' hiring process.

• Your reputation

Your social media footprint can affect your professional reputation. Controversial content on your profiles, or bad reviews or comments about your prior jobs or colleagues, might negatively impact the possibility of you being hired at a new place of work.

• Your privacy

You should be aware of any privacy settings on your social media accounts, so you can guard yourself against possible bad outcomes. It is also encouraged for you not to post vulgar content or reveal excessive personal information on these platforms.