The benefits of social media are endless, but a rude post or comment can affect you when applying for a job.
“Social media is crucial when applying for a job, particularly if in your social media profiles you are using your real name,” said Josse Garrido, social media manager for UTRGV’s University Marketing and Communication. “It becomes critical that you have a very good and solid social media presence to showcase your potential professionalism and to also demonstrate that you have skills and you have people skills.”
Employers look at social media profiles to make sure the candidate is not different in person, said Alondra Galvan, vice president of the Student Government Association.
“The first thing they do is automatically check your social media to make sure that you’re not only a good person when you are getting interviewed, but that you are a good person as well outside of the workplace,” Galvan said.
After students graduate, some may not have enough work experience to help the employer decide whether to hire them. What the employer will do is get that background from social media to fill in the gaps, Garrido said.
“Career Builder did a … survey [for] many HR directors and practically asked them, ‘How many of you look at social media when you are recruiting candidates?’ and the response was 60 percent of them look at social media,” said Juan Rodriguez-Nieto, director of UTRGV’s Career Center.
Student Government Association President Denisse Molina-Castro served as an intern in the office of U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas). They told her that she was representing the office and advised her on social media precautions.
Many precautions and measures should be taken into consideration while using social media when applying for jobs. For example, if you would not say something to a person face-to-face, do not say it on social media, Garrido said.
“I have seen students that are frustrated with maybe a company, maybe with a department … and they are posting and they are bashing about it,” Garrido said. “They are very critical, using bad words. They don’t show any measure of restraint or self-respect for many situations and then I wonder … how do they think they are going to get a job after this, after being so nasty on social media?”
Another recommendation is to check that you have two types of social media. The professional one, which would be your LinkedIn profile, and then your personal social media, Rodriguez-Nieto said.
“Making sure that you don’t have pictures of you with alcohol or drugs or anything illicit,” he said. “Make sure that your comments are not inflammatory or derogatory.”
Always show professionalism, post important information that you like, Molina-Castro said. For example, if the student is majoring in engineering, share stuff about engineering. If a student has a question about a particular field, post it on social media.
“Any kind of special merits, awards, anything that you receive, post it on social media because you want to brag about it, you want to showcase what you are made of,” Garrido said.
When on social media, if a student has a professional opinion on different matters, they should voice it, Garrido said.
“For example, if you are studying finance, and you see a new regulation. You have an opinion about it. … Voice your professional opinion based on what you have learned in your classes. … Of course, try to show a level of restraint,” he said.
On the other hand, social media has many benefits. If social media is used correctly, it can give you that extra push and in a few cases, it will get you hired, Garrido said.
Many students choose not to post on social media because they are representing the university.
“I do represent the university and the student body. … I don’t want to be a bad role model for UTRGV and the student body,” Molina-Castro said.
As graduation approaches, Garrido sends students an email about the importance of LinkedIn. If you are a recent graduate, you are about to graduate or you are beginning the journey, LinkedIn is very good and is your online résumé, plus more, he said.
Lastly, “Google yourself and find out what’s out there about you,” Rodriguez-Nieto said.
To learn more about LinkedIn or to sign up, visit linkedin.com.
The Career Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in Cortez Hall 129 on the Brownville campus. In Edinburg, the center is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the Student Services Building in Edinburg.
