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Top Social Media Mistakes That Cost You Job Offers

As a recruiter, it’s not every day that you stumble upon digital dirt. You know, that delightful mix of questionable content, eyebrow-raising comments, and “Did-they-really-post-that?” moments that show up when you’re evaluating a candidate’s online presence. But hey, the internet is forever, and digital dirt is the gift that keeps on giving. So, what exactly does a recruiter not want to see when they Google your name? Here’s a totally serious rundown.

1. The Party Photos – Oh Yes, Those Are Fun Nothing screams “professional” like a Facebook album entitled Spring Break: Cancun 2022. Remember, your future employer loves nothing more than seeing you shotgun a beer while standing on a table wearing neon swimwear and shades indoors. Bonus points if you’ve tagged your current employer in the post. Because nothing says “I’m responsible and ready for that leadership role” quite like a photo where you look like you’ve been awake for 72 hours straight, surviving solely on tequila shots and bad decisions.

2. Opinions. So. Many. Opinions. We get it; you’re passionate. But if your social media reads like the comment section of a political debate, that’s going to be a hard pass. Whether you’re firing off hot takes on the latest controversial issue or starting online feuds with strangers over whether pineapple belongs on pizza (it doesn’t, by the way), it might be time to dial it back. Recruiters are dying to hire someone who spends their weekends engaged in Twitter flame wars—said no recruiter ever.

3. “It’s Just a Meme, Bro” Memes are the spice of life, but when your LinkedIn profile picture is a meme or your Instagram is a shrine to questionable humor, we start to wonder if you’re here for the job or just for the lulz. Nothing raises professional red flags faster than a candidate whose social feed is a steady stream of SpongeBob memes mixed with the occasional inspirational quote that was probably posted unironically.

4. The “Entrepreneur” With No Business Your bio says you’re a CEO, founder, or influencer. Sounds impressive—until we realize your “company” has a single Instagram page with 12 followers, and your “brand” is an Etsy shop that sells homemade keychains. Listen, we appreciate the hustle, but maybe update that bio to “aspiring entrepreneur” so we know you’re still working on the whole empire-building thing.

5. Inappropriate Username Much? Ah yes, nothing quite captures a candidate’s credibility like an email address that reads “hotgirl4lyfe@yahoo.com” or “beerchugmaster1999@gmail.com.” Look, I’m sure beer chugging is a masterful skill, but recruiters are typically more interested in your project management skills. And your high school AIM username? Maybe it’s time to let that one go.

6. Public Venting About Your Current Job We love to see that you’re active on social media—unless you’re using it to trash your current job. Those “cryptic” Facebook statuses like “I work with idiots” and “Can’t wait to quit this joke of a job” aren’t as subtle as you think. And trust me, it gives us recruiters so much confidence that you’ll definitely be professional when it’s our company on the chopping block in your next post.

7. The Shameless Selfie Marathon Yes, we all appreciate a good selfie now and then, but when your entire online presence is a sea of perfectly angled, heavily filtered photos of yourself, it leaves recruiters wondering: do you spend more time looking for good lighting than on developing professional skills? Your digital footprint should reflect your career, not just your cheekbone game.

8. Grammar? Never Heard of Her. Last but certainly not least, there’s the issue of basic literacy. If your public posts are riddled with typos, incorrect “there/their/they’re” usage, and sentences that seem to be missing half the words, we can’t help but wonder what your emails might look like. Your potential employer might question if their company blog is safe in your hands when your latest tweet reads like, “I’m so exited 4 the weeeeeekend!!!!!!! ???.”

In Conclusion…

Before you hit “post” on that next rant, selfie, or meme, just remember: recruiters are out here, lurking in the digital shadows, ready to stumble upon your social media masterpiece. Keep that digital dirt off the internet, and maybe, just maybe, your online presence will help you get the job—not send your resume to the bottom of the pile faster than you can say “#YOLO.”

Some Food for Thought

So, what does your digital footprint say about you? If a recruiter were to scroll through your online presence right now, would they see the professional you want to portray—or is there some digital dirt you need to clean up?

NOTES

The framework of this article was based on a previous post of mine, enhanced by ChatGPT. WordPress created the image using AI. (And note the extra hand in the image!)

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Mock to Rock: Preparing for Your Public Relations Job Interview

Stepping into the world of public relations is thrilling (and a little scary), and it all kicks off with nailing that job interview. This is your moment to shine, to flaunt your skills, and to show them how much you’re into the ever-evolving PR landscape.

Whether you’re on the hunt for an internship or that first real job, rocking the interview is your ticket in. So, I’ve created a list of 10 essential tips for PR students gearing up for interview day. From diving deep into the company’s vibe to getting savvy with virtual chats, these pointers are your go-to guide for making a splash and getting a head start on your PR journey.

Research the Company

Acquaint yourself with the company’s culture, values, recent campaigns and the broader industry landscape. Google is your friend here. But also check LinkedIn to see if anyone you know works at the company, and ask them questions as well.

Prepare for Common Questions

Anticipate questions related to your coursework, experiences and why you’re interested in a PR career. See 30+ Questions You’ll Be Asked in an Internship Interview for some question possibilities. PRO TIP: Keep a copy of your resume within easy access in case you need to check a date or company name.

Have Questions Ready for YOU to Ask

Prepare thoughtful questions to ask your interviewers, demonstrating your genuine interest. See 15 Questions Job Interviewers Love to Hear.

Practice Your Responses

Engage in mock interviews to articulate your thoughts coherently and confidently. Check to see if your university’s career services department offers this service.

Showcase Your Portfolio

Be ready to share and discuss samples of your work, such as press releases or social media campaigns. Have hard copies available to hand across the desk if the interview is face to face. Have the files open and ready to share on your computer, if the interview is a virtual one.

Follow Up

Send a thank-you email expressing your gratitude for the opportunity to interview. Never, ever forget to do this. This one extra touchpoint with your interviewer might make all the difference.

Dress Appropriately

Opt for business or smart casual attire, ensuring you present yourself professionally. See Smart Casual Attire: A Guide to the Dress Code With Examples.

Zoom Tip – ALWAYS Test Your Tech

Ensure your internet connection, camera and microphone work properly ahead of time. Make sure Zoom doesn’t need to update right before your interview; this will throw you off.

Zoom Tip – Maintain Eye Contact

Look into the camera when speaking, not at the interviewer’s image on your screen. Move your computer to a position where the camera is at your eye level.

Stay Calm and Be Yourself

And finally, your authentic self is your greatest asset. Stay calm, and let your passion for PR shine through.

In Closing

If you’ve recently participated in a job interview, especially for an internship, what other tips would you offer?

Signature Block: Barbara is Listening

NOTES

The framework of this article was inspired by ChatGPT. Images were created using Adobe Firefly.

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Job Interviews Over Lunch: 15 Tips for Success

two-pronged attack
Image Credit: “two-pronged attack” by Jenny Downing

If you’re participating in an all-day (or several hour) job interview, it’s likely that you will be eating lunch or dinner with your interviewer(s). Here are just a few tips to help you succeed in this circumstance:

  1. Brush up on the news. There will likely be some “casual” conversation during this lunch interview.
  2. Use your best manners. (This should go without saying.)
  3. Bring along a small notepad and pen. You may need to jot something down during the meal.
  4. If you know ahead of time where you will be eating, review the restaurant’s menu online and choose two or three possibilities.
  5. Order something from the middle price point on the menu.
  6. Choose food that can be eaten with fork and knife, if possible. Avoid potentially messy food (like some sandwiches, soups and salads) and smelly food like onions and garlic.
  7. Order something light or small. You will be doing a lot of talking during this meal.
  8. Food allergies or sensitivities? Try to order something on the menu that you can eat without special preparation by the chef, if at all possible.
  9. If rolls or bread are provided, tear off a small piece (what you will eat in a bite or two) and butter just that. (Do not butter the entire piece at one time.)
  10. Choose something uncarbonated to drink, like water or iced tea.
  11. Be exceptionally polite to the servers; how you treat them is a good sign of how you may treat employees or co-workers.
  12. Avoid overly personal conversation. Don’t say anything you would not say in the interviewer’s office.
  13. Leave your cell phone in your pocket or purse. Don’t take it out even if the interviewer takes his or hers out. (The only exception to this is if you and the interviewer need to look at your calendars for planning a follow-up interview.)
  14. And bring a dental floss pick with you; you can use this if needed when you are in the restroom. It’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

Always remember this one key tip: don’t let your guard down. Even though the setting may seem more informal during a meal, you are still being interviewed and evaluated.

Do you have other tips you’d recommend? Or a story about a lunch interview that went exceptionally well . . . or terribly?

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Making the Most of a Phone Interview

old phone ad
Image Credit: Hemeroteca Digital

In these days of travel budgets being slashed to bare bones, many companies are doing more phone interviews than ever. If you’re seeking a new job, it’s highly likely one of your first interviews with a company will be over the telephone. Here’s some of my best advice on making the most of a phone interview:

Before the Interview

  • Know the details of the interview. For example, do you call the interviewer? Or does he or she call you? Be prepared at least 15 minutes ahead of time, and be aware of time-zone differences.
  • Connect with the interviewer via LinkedIn before the interview. Print a copy of the interviewer’s photo and have it available during the call.
  • Whether it’s a cell phone or a landline phone, check to see that the battery is fully charged before you begin to speak.
  • Do your best to be in a quiet place, away from coffee shop chatter, noisy roommates, barking dogs, etc.
  • Silence your cell phone and tablet so that notification noises do not distract you or your interviewer.
  • If at all possible, make or take the call from a landline telephone, rather than a cell phone. You don’t want to have to worry about your call being dropped part-way through. If you must use a cell phone, be sure you’re in an area with exceptionally good coverage.
  • Dress professionally, even though you know the interviewer cannot see you through the phone. We tend to act more professional when we appear more professional.
  • Prepare your interview area carefully. Be seated at a clean desk, and have a copy of your resume in front of you. Also have information about the company printed and available for you to refer to if you need it.
  • Have a cup of water with a straw nearby. It’s best to have no ice.
  • If the interview is done via Skype (or other) video chat, check your equipment with a friend ahead of time to ensure you know how to make or answer the video call. Make eye contact with the camera just as though you were talking face-to-face with the interviewer. Practice this with a friend! It feels quite awkward the first time you try it.

During the Interview

  • Listen carefully to all questions and ask for clarification when needed.
  • Look at the interviewer’s photo during the conversation.
  • Take notes as needed during the interview.
  • SMILE! Though the interviewer cannot see you, he or she will be able to hear the smile in your voice.
  • Some people sound more energetic if they talk while standing rather than sitting.
  • No gum chewing. Though I love to chew gum, I know how awful it sounds to others, and the noise is amplified over a telephone.
  • Avoid typing while talking, especially if you have long nails like I do. The sound of typing may make it sound like you’re not interested enough in the discussion to give it full attention.
  • As the interview draws to a close, express your interest in the role and ask what the next steps in the process are.

After the Interview

  • Immediately after the phone interview, send a short (yet professional) thank you e-mail to the interviewer. Then follow up that e-mail, the same day if possible, with a hand-written thank you note.

Other Suggestions

What other tips would you offer for someone who will be participating in a phone interview?

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How to Complete Online Job Applications Without Pulling Out Your (Virtual) Hair

After a little more than five years working with a software company, my position was eliminated, and I found myself in an unexpected state of “retirement.” And “retirement” for me means spending my days searching for what’s next.

Virtually all companies now have you complete an online job application, and some of these applications can take up to an hour to complete. Additionally, some of these applications have screening questions that you must answer before you can submit your application.

Here are some tips to help you complete online job applications:

  • Have one folder on your computer that has just these files in it. This will make it easier for you to find the most current versions. (Move older versions to a subfolder.)
    • Resume (Word and PDF)
    • References (Word and PDF)
    • Transcript (PDF only)
    • Q and A (Word only)
  • In your Q and A file, keep a running log of the screening questions that you are asked and your responses to these questions. If a new application asks new questions, add them to the file.
    • By writing your answers to screening questions in a Word document, rather than directly in the online application, you’ll be able to more easily see any errors that have slipped in.
    • You can often repurpose previous responses with only minor edits.
    • Read your responses aloud to ensure that the words flow smoothly.
    • Carefully copy your responses from Word and paste into the application. Be sure you’re answering the correct question with your response.
    • And if the application times out or errors out before you click Submit, you will have all of your responses saved in Word, so you won’t need to rewrite from scratch! (This tip alone has helped me keep from pulling out my virtual hair.)
  • Typical screening questions are often similar to the following:
    • Why do you want to work here? (Be sure to take a look at the company’s vision and mission statements, and then echo some of the company’s wording in your response.)
    • Explain your experience and skills in X. (X will be something that comes from the job description. Use this space to address how your background matches with what the company’s requirements are. You may be asked this question multiple times to address several aspects of the job.)

What other tips would you add?

 

 

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A Quick Review of Re.Vu for Interactive Resumes

As I prepare to move from Northwest Arkansas to Northeast Wisconsin, I thought it was time to be sure LinkedIn and my resume were up to date. I ran across a new (to me) service called Re.Vu, one that advertises itself as a place to create a resume that’s “dynamic, interactive and visual.” So I gave it a try. All in all, I’d give it a solid B.

6-24-2014 12-51-51 PM

 

Re.vu has several sections for your interactive resume, and you can choose which to display and which to hide. The sections include:

  • Personal Data: basic information
  • Timeline: for your experience
  • Infographics: up to six tiles you can include with a number (no punctuation) and a few words, along with a few graphs and charts
  • Portfolio: images that the reader can scroll through
  • Education: degree or certification, school and year
  • Work Examples: samples of things you have created

When I got started, Re.Vu asked me if I’d like to connect to my LinkedIn profile to import some of the work experience. I was less than thrilled with what it imported, however. It only captured my most recent experience. That was nice, but I still had to hand-enter all my previous experience. I probably wouldn’t have minded the data entry at all if I hadn’t been asked if I’d like information imported.

6-24-2014 11-32-41 AM

Fleshing out the interactive resume is straightforward. There are prompts on the screen throughout the process. And you can see your work in progress as you go.

My favorite part of the resume is the timeline, where your reader can scroll through your experience. The company name and your title are linked to a popup for the details.

6-24-2014 11-25-32 AM

Another feature I like is the ability to see some (very) basic analytics, including how many views the page has and how long the average visit to the page is. I just added my resume yesterday, so there isn’t much to see on this page . . . yet.

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The biggest detractor from Re.Vu is that the site does not have responsive design. My resume that looks fairly attractive on a computer looks significantly less attractive on a mobile device, and the numbers from the infographics are missing their final digits in some cases.

Screenshot_2014-06-23-15-09-53

 

If I could make one change to Re.vu, it would be the ability for embed my interactive resume into my blog (or elsewhere), somewhat like I can with Storify.

Have you tried Re.vu? If so, what are your thoughts on it, both from the applicant and the interviewer perspective?

barbara_is_listening

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How to Rock Your Internship in 10 Easy Steps

Image Credit: "Rock Stacking" by Chris Geatch
Image Credit: “Rock Stacking” by Chris Geatch

Summer is near, and so is the season of internships. This post is primarily for my student readers. (I’ll have another post next week for those who are supervising or working with interns.) Here are 10 easy steps for rocking your internship.

  1. Learn names. I know the first few days are overwhelming with all the people you will likely meet. Ask if there’s an org chart with photos (some companies have them — they’re a great help). Write down names as soon as you can, along with something about what the person does and how you may be working with him or her. Greet people by name the next time you see them. And if you forget a name, just ask the person for a reminder — the sooner the better.
  2. Be on time. Always. And find out what “on time” means at your new organization. For some, a 10:00 meeting means that people should walk in the door at 10:00. For others, it means arrive before then, and be ready to jump into the first agenda item at 10:00.
  3. Dress the part. For the first week or so, take note of how others dress in your office, and dress similarly if possible. Ask your supervisor about attire, when in doubt. And it never hurts to dress a little more professionally than the norm, especially if your role is client-facing.
  4. Ask questions. You aren’t expected to know how to do everything on Day One.
  5. Recap every meeting. Takes notes and be sure you know what action items from the meeting have been assigned to you.
  6. Avoid personal use of social media on the job. Focus your time and efforts on your employer, and save personal use of social media for breaks and lunchtime. And if your internship requires you to interact in social media, be sure to post from the correct account. (There are numerous examples of people accidentally tweeting, etc., from their own accounts. Trust me.)
  7. Don’t complain, especially publicly. Internships (and jobs) are not all sunshine, roses and unicorns. Do what you’re asked (within reason) with a smile on your face and a positive attitude. If things aren’t going well, discuss it with your supervisor. Don’t take it to social media, even with vague complaints; it may come back to haunt you.
  8. Save copies of your work. Unless your employer specifically prohibits it, save as much as you can of the content you produce. You may need to share copies to earn credit for your internship.
  9. Keep in touch with faculty. Even if it’s not required, send periodic updates of your internship with relevant faculty members at your university. They really want you to succeed, and most are willing to offer help or advice when you need it.
  10. Leave an impression. Recap the body of your work and share it with your supervisor and any co-workers who might benefit from it. Let them know how to reach you once the internship is over. Connect with them on LinkedIn. (You are on LinkedIn, right? And your profile is updated, including the internship, right?) Keep those bridges clean, clear and unburned.

What other tips would you offer?

barbara_is_listening

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Soon-To-Be PR Grads Get LinkedIn

[Updated from a blog post from February 2010]

As PR students are nearing the end of their college careers and beginning their job searches, one of the most powerful online tools for them is the business networking site LinkedIn. Creating a profile in LinkedIn is a requirement in my Communication Seminar class and is recommended for ALL my PR students.

What’s LinkedIn? In the site’s own words,

“Your professional network of trusted contacts gives you an advantage in your career, and is one of your most valuable assets. LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network and help the people you trust in return. Our mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. We believe that in a global connected economy, your success as a professional and your competitiveness as a company depends upon faster access to insight and resources you can trust.”

So far, I’ve used LinkedIn to:

  • research companies we are discussing in class
  • ask questions of other public relations professionals
  • connect with colleagues from previous jobs
  • write recommendations for current and former colleagues
  • find guest speakers for classes
  • share my professional background with students who only know me as a professor

LinkedIn provides some helpful advice for college students.  In summary, the advice is:

  1. Get Started
  2. Go Pro
  3. Be Passionate
  4. Grow Your Network
  5. Find Opportunities
  6. Nail the Interview

I’ve embedded the Get Started video below. You can find the rest of them via the links above.

Also, soon-to-be grads should take a look at the following:

  • Chris Brogan’s 19-page eBook “Using the Social Web to Find Work.” (Though it was written more than a year ago, much of the advice still holds true.) Visit Chris’ site and scroll down to his fifth paragraph for the PDF. (I chose not to link to it directly because I want you to visit his site first. ) Chris includes many, many tips on using LinkedIn and other sites.
  • Gini Dietrich’s blog post “Using Social Media to Find a Job.” Be sure to read the comments in addition to the post itself.

When you set up your profile in LinkedIn, consider also doing the following:

  • Create a custom URL for your profile to make it easier for people to find you (and because it will look nicer on your resume)
  • Include a good headshot photo of yourself, looking as professional as possible. No pictures where you can see that you cropped out (most of) the person next to you.
  • Add Applications to LinkedIn, such as a feed from your blog or SlideShare. Only add Twitter if 100% of your tweets are ones that you’d want a potential employer to read.

How do YOU use LinkedIn? How have you benefitted from it? Please share your thoughts as a comment below.

barbara_is_listening