You could have a well-written C.V that’s laid out clearly, precise and full of experience with a portfolio that brilliantly emphasises why you would be the best candidate for the job position that you are interested in. But today, that might not be the only way for an employer to learn about the type of person you are. It has become obvious that in this digital age there might be some extra research involved in finding the right person for the role. And for social media users, it is not too surprising that the content on social media platforms could possibly affect the outcome of this if anything is deemed inappropriate or denotes undesirable traits. In fact a recent survey by Technojobs data, showed that 61% of employers who researched potential candidates on social media decided not to hire based on the contents of their profile. According to Norbert Sugira, a social media influencer, some people don’t often realise that social media presence can be seen as an online CV. “Your social media presence is how you present yourself to the world – and that includes current and future employers. In fact, your social media presence is often the first impression you make on potential employers. If you are trying to land an interview, get hired, or even advance in your current career, social media matters,” he says. Mind your online interactions Fiona Rutagengwa Kamikazi, a communication specialist pointed out that to her, social media presence is both educational and distracting, citing that one needs to be very mindful of how much time they spend on these platforms. “I would recommend each user to set what I call social media breaks depending on how busy their jobs or occupations are,” she says, adding that, “Personally my job requires me to check social media regularly to monitor trends, inquiries and complaints but that cannot work for everyone and that’s why I recommend social media breaks because I also know these platforms can be very entertaining and relaxing.” Kamikazi is of the view that people relate to content posted and not the number of tweets or Facebook posts you have sent out. “You need to focus on content if you want to increase visibility. Find your voice and stay in the fields that you feel are relevant to you and respect other people’s opinions.” For Jackie Kalisa, a human resource professional, what to post on social media or what not to post depends on who you are, what you believe in, how you project yourself, or the company you work for. “You know there are some companies out here that have policies in place which limit people on sharing their personal opinions. But all in all one should always avoid anything that can put their reputation at risk as well as their companies/business. And again there is some level of maturity needed because people’s intentions are different,” Kalisa asserts. Asked about whether she normally spares time for social media use, Kalisa says, “Personally I don’t have a specific time because to me social media is my stress release strategy, it has never affected my work in any way and I don’t have any particular time on when I should use, may be when I am extremely busy or in meetings that’s when I don’t use it.” “I can use it anytime during working hours as long as I know it won’t affect my work. But also one needs to know that this depends on the kind of job that one does and how one is carried away.” Kalisa is also of the view that social media platforms are booming with opportunities depending on how the owner uses them. “This is true because we have seen many people become popular because of what they air out, their opinions and ideas which is a good thing because it leads to many opportunities that benefits you in one way or another.” However, she also decries that everything has a good and bad side and that this depends on a lot of things. “Actually many people have been judged and called all sorts of names because of mismanaging their accounts, this has also ruined many people’s reputations, and we can’t also fail to mention that there are some companies that still conduct due diligence on what one puts out there, how they share their opinions and they end up missing some good opportunities.” “But all in all one needs to be careful especially that we all don’t know what the future holds. You don’t wish to go back and start deleting what you posted which is already stuck on someone’s mind simply because you wanted attention or number of followers.”
