Job hunting is HARD, time consuming, and when it's not going well it can be a total drain on your confidence.
But it turns out there might be teeny-tiny thing that may help you get the job you're after. A recent study has discovered that having a selfie on your LinkedIn profile could be stopping employers from taking you on. Envirofone surveyed 2,186 hiring managers and 88% of them said that they felt selfies were unprofessional. 58% from the same group surveyed, said they wouldn’t hire someone for that reason.
Richard Mavers, of Envirofone, said ‘First impressions count, and it’s easy to assume that showcasing your best self(ie) on LinkedIn will impress potential bosses. However, recent research revealed that job candidates who use selfies on professional networking sites don’t go down well with employers.’
Presumably you don't want to dish out for a professional headshot either, but Mavers doesn't think this is a problem, as long as you choose a pic that shows you looking reasonably professional. ‘While a professional headshot is always advisable where possible, a selfie where you are dressed professionally is a good alternative, with 66% of respondents rating this as an acceptable option for a LinkedIn profile.’
But that’s not the only thing the researchers discovered… The researchers found that 60% of employed check their candidate’s social media before concluding whether or not to employ them. Eeek.
Richard adds that, ‘Previous research has shown that posts about drug use, discriminatory remarks, and bad mouth previous employers and colleagues, have resulted in otherwise ideal candidate being turned down for a job.’
Richard goes on to suggest that the best way to avoid being turned down for a job due to your social media, create two different profiles – one professional and one for social, and keep the social one set to private. But, of course, the BEST thing to do is not post anything that you may not want your boss or future boss to see. Save it for your BFFs Whatsapp group.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.