*Ever wonder what recruiters are searching for when they Google your name?
*What does your online image and personal brand say about you? 
The main, Social Media sites are: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. They're often referred to as "The Big 3. "Job seekers routinely Google companies and interviewers prior to an interview. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that employers also do this with prospective candidates.
Jobvite is one of the main, online platforms for social recruiting. According to JobVite's latest survey of social media trends and employment - Google searches are very common. Their current statistics indicate that 90-95% of companies are routinely checking out candidates online profiles.
I work with both recruiters and job seekers every day. Anecdotally, most recruiters I've spoken to admit to reviewing a prospective, candidate online. However, they all ask me to keep their own names and company names 'off the record.' Employers will Google you!
It's no surprise that a company will investigate the background of high level executives and c-suite individual since they interact with key clients and the media. However, this level of candidate research is now being done for mid-level employees too. In addition to Googling a candidate with a regular name search, some companies go a step further.
In fact, there is a whole new industry springing up which is all about online, candidate research. Companies can now hire "Social Media Identity Strategists." This is a new profession with certifications. These individuals can effectively screen candidate data for EEOC compliance and feed the data to companies. For instance, they are routinely asked to filter out data about protected classes such as: race, religion, ethnicity, disability or LGBT status. Then, they send the remaining 'cleaned up' data to the companies Human Resource staff. In that way, a company can show that they didn't use any protected data or discriminate in interview invitations.
Candidates need to search engine optimize their online, resumes and content across multiple platforms. For business professionals optimizing their LinkedIn profile is key. This is the #1 site that recruiters review. Additionally, all online, job- boards use algorithms to connect job seekers to employers. This is done each time that a recruiter uses a key word search in the job board to find a candidate and each time a candidate searches for a job. Check out my post on ATS Software which is used to screen resumes and on Twitter tools for your career toolbox.
Increasingly, a large part of my work with candidates goes beyond resume upgrades. I routinely audit my clients LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ profiles. Then, I share my findings with them. Next, we work on strategies to clean up any 'digital dirt.' It's much better for my clients to get this taken care of before an interview with my support. The alternative is to ignore your online brand and potentially lose out on interview requests.
I'd love to hear about your experiences with online, social media, job search and interviewing. Feel free to add a comment or drop me a line.
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Author: © 2015 - All Rights Reserved - Sharon B. Cohen, Business Career Coach and Social Media Strategist.
"Virtual Career Counseling: helping business professionals, reach their career potential!"
• Sharon B. Cohen on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonbcohen/
• My Career Manager on Twitter http://twitter.com/MyCareerManager
• Complete Archive of articles on My Career Manager http://www.mycareermanager.com/ 
The main, Social Media sites are: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. They're often referred to as "The Big 3. "Job seekers routinely Google companies and interviewers prior to an interview. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that employers also do this with prospective candidates.
Jobvite is one of the main, online platforms for social recruiting. According to JobVite's latest survey of social media trends and employment - Google searches are very common. Their current statistics indicate that 90-95% of companies are routinely checking out candidates online profiles.
In fact, there is a whole new industry springing up which is all about online, candidate research. Companies can now hire "Social Media Identity Strategists." This is a new profession with certifications. These individuals can effectively screen candidate data for EEOC compliance and feed the data to companies. For instance, they are routinely asked to filter out data about protected classes such as: race, religion, ethnicity, disability or LGBT status. Then, they send the remaining 'cleaned up' data to the companies Human Resource staff. In that way, a company can show that they didn't use any protected data or discriminate in interview invitations.
Candidates need to search engine optimize their online, resumes and content across multiple platforms. For business professionals optimizing their LinkedIn profile is key. This is the #1 site that recruiters review. Additionally, all online, job- boards use algorithms to connect job seekers to employers. This is done each time that a recruiter uses a key word search in the job board to find a candidate and each time a candidate searches for a job. Check out my post on ATS Software which is used to screen resumes and on Twitter tools for your career toolbox.
I'd love to hear about your experiences with online, social media, job search and interviewing. Feel free to add a comment or drop me a line.
===========================================================
• Complete Archive of articles on My Career Manager http://www.mycareermanager.com/
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