UCL digifest

Tracking your digital footsteps

Posted on August 14, 2014 Updated on August 22, 2014

Have you googled yourself? Is there any tidbits on your social networks that you don’t want your future employer to see? What kind of identity do you want to portray to them?

Recent studies found that 92% of companies use social media for recruitment. Check out these infographic stats by Staff.com:

Staff.com – Connecting Great Companies with Global Talent

With the increasing number of social media users and job seekers, it’s inevitable that companies turn to online profiles as another method to screen potential employees. You might have a perfect CV on LinkedIn with all your stud society and volunteering involvement records, but employers nowadays are digging deeper than the polished façade you put forth.

This means that photo of you doing the old tequila shot dare, a Twitter outburst on the pile of work your boss dumped on you, and whatever it is that’s lying around the internet waiting to be discovered.

ClubPay put it best: “Reviewing a candidates social media footprint can be very effective at forming a 360 degree view of a candidate. Offering much more than a traditional resume and references, you can obtain a more holistic view of “who” and individual really is.”

Your social media endeavours might just be the deal-breaker in the getting hired for your dream job

So before you bad-mouth your boss or post an R-rated photo, think of the image you’re portraying to potential employers. It’s basically just taking reigns of your privacy, controlling what you share and who you share them with.

Useful tips on maintaining a clean digital footprint

• GradPlus.com: How your digital footprint could damage your employability
• David Hopkins on digital footprint and employability