Post on 15-Apr-2017
What's your Digital Footprint?
Using social media in your job hunt
Jessica GrampDigital Education
digi-ed@ucl.ac.uk
What’s a digital footprint?
• When you go online you leave a ‘footprint’ of personal information behind you.
• Some of this can be seen by others and is often referred to as your ‘online presence’.
• This workshop will help you identify your own digital footprint and suggest ways to improve it.
How can social media help you find a job?
• Create your “online brand”.• Show off your skills.• Network.• Backup your qualifications and experience.
How can social media help you find a job?
Employers are increasingly realising the benefits of utilising social media in the workplace*.
BUT
“Many job seekers are device savvy - but not in a business context!”
– IT employer, 2014
* Jue, A.L. (2010) Social media at work: how networking tools propel organizational performance. 1st ed. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass.
Tales from the real world
Youth Police Commissioner resigns… !
People who’ve lost jobs through social media blunders!
http://mashable.com/2011/06/16/weinergate-social-media-job-loss/
What’s ok to tweet?
A. Keep it purely professional.
B. Mix of professional & uncontroversial personal topics.
C. Controversial opinions using a pseudo name.
D. Controversial opinions using your real name.
Keep it purely professi
onal.
Mix of professi
onal & un...
Controve
rsial o
pinions us...
Controve
rsial o
pinions usi..
11%
28%
0%
61%# *
!?&@ %
Why is your online presence important?
• 93% of hiring managers (surveyed by Jobvite) review a candidate’s social profile before hiring.
• Contentious topics to avoid include:– illegal drugs (83%).– sexual posts (70%).– profanity (67%).– alcohol (44%).
http://time.com/money/3510967/jobvite-social-media-profiles-job-applicants
Why is your online presence important?
• A 2014 study found 51% of employers rejected candidates after checking their online profiles:– Provocative images / text (46%).– Drinking & using drugs (41%).– Lying (38%).– Badmouthing their company/colleagues (36%).– Poor communication skills (32%).– Discrimination (28%).
http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=6%2F26%2F2014&id=pr829&ed=12%2F31%2F2014
Why is your online presence important?
• The same study found 23% of employers hired candidates based on their online profiles, which conveyed:– personality (46%).– confirmed professional qualifications (45%).– professionalism (43%).– wide range of interests (40%).– strong communication skills (40%).– creativity (36%).– good references from others (20%).– interaction with company social media (24%).
http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=6%2F26%2F2014&id=pr829&ed=12%2F31%2F2014
What social media tools do you use?
A. Facebook.B. Google+C. LinkedIn.D. Twitter.E. WordPress.F. Blogger.G. YouTube. H. Instagram.I. Pinterest.J. Others…
A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. J.
18%
7%
9%
14%
6%
8%
7%
18%
0%
13%
What’s your digital footprint?Now it’s time to find out
Have you googled yourself?
A. TrueB. False
A. B.
10%
90%
What did I find when I did this?
• *My address!• *My age :o• *Who I’ve lived with in the UK But also:• Blog posts.• My public LinkedIn, Google+ & Facebook profiles.• Academia.edu papers.• Conference presentations.• My websites.
*On www.192.com – you can request this information is removed
What do you think you’ll find?
http://www.barbarapachtersblog.com/2013/11/on-job-search-avoid-these-6-social_20.html
Try googling yourself (also check images and videos)
Keep your personal profiles private#1
A. Yes.B. No.
Yes. No.
15%
85%
Have you locked down your Facebook account?
Keeping Facebook private
Do you manually approve your friends tagging you and posting to your wall on Facebook?
A. Yes.B. No.
Yes. No.
67%
33%
Keeping Facebook private
Tales from the real world
A friend asked to remove (innocent) content that she was not comfortable being public…
Check your Facebook profile!
Of 220 surveyed doctors who had Facebook accounts*:– 63% had activated their privacy options.– 37% had publicly available accounts. Of these:• 46% showed photos of the users drinking alcohol.• 43% indicated their relationship status.• 37% revealed users’ sexual orientation.• 16% revealed their religious views.• 10% showed photos of the users intoxicated.
*MacDonald, Joanna, Sangsu Sohn and Pete Ellis. 2010. "Privacy, professionalism and Facebook: a dilemma for young doctors." Medical Education 44(8):805-813.
http://equilibriumnetwork.co.uk/facebook-should-you-lead-a-double-life/facebook-logo/
Use LinkedIn to market yourself and network
Improve your online profile.
#2
• Used by 95% of employers to search and contact candidates*.
• Over 433 million members in over 200 countries and territories#.
• Students and recent graduates are LinkedIn's fastest-growing demographic with over 40 million currently#.
*https://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/jobvite_socialrecruiting_survey2014.pdf#https://press.linkedin.com/about-linkedin
Advice from LinkedIn
Use keywords to be found!
Look at job descriptions for your dream job. • What skills are listed as requirements? • What job titles are they using? • What specific terms are listed in these descriptions? • Is the same concept listed three different ways by three
different companies?
Make sure your resume incorporates popular ways way of saying the same thing.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140401012957-460284-5-things-jobseekers-need-to-know-about-linkedin
Lynda.com
• Video tutorials for software, creative & business skills.• Free to UCL staff and students.• Display completed courses on your LinkedIn profile.• Learning paths for particular careers.• www.ucl.ac.uk/Lynda
Learning Paths
LinkedIn is not the full story…But remember that
Create (or curate) online content to showcase your skills
You should also…
#3
Top social networks (UK)
http://wearesocial.com/uk/special-reports/digital-in-2016 - slide 491
What content might you create or curate?
• Tweets.• Blog posts.• Discussion forum posts.• Images.• Videos.• Portfolios.• Websites.
Tales from the real world
There was an apprentice who…
UCL Student Blog
*minimum contributions required
Want to get started with developing your digital footprint? We’re looking for students and staff to get involved. Sign up to the UCL Student Blogging project:– Write video reviews for your modules.– Write app reviews to help others at UCL.– Receive writing support and guidance.– Get recognition with HEAR*.
Register interest:https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-student-blog
Tips for improving your online profile
#1. Keep personal profiles private.
#2. Use LinkedIn to market yourself & network.
#3. Create (or curate) online content to showcase your skills:
E.g. tweets, blogs, discussion forum posts, images, videos, portfolios, websites.
Social Media Examples
• Blog– Anthony Finkelstein - Dean of UCL Engineering until 2015:
http://blog.prof.so
• Twitter– Melissa Terras – Director, UCL Centre for Digital Humanities
https://twitter.com/melissaterras
• Video– Matt Jenner – UCL Distance Learning Facilitator:
http://www.youtube.com/user/shangrulawhatnow/videos
• Portfolio– Domi Sinclair – UCL Learning Technologist:
https://myportfolio.ucl.ac.uk/user/view.php?id=5094
Questions?
Interested in using digital tools ? Contact UCL Digital Education
digi-ed@ucl.ac.uk