Beware! 4 Common Social Media Mistakes of Older Job Hunters

It’s not only the fresh graduates who are struggling to find jobs. Even those who have been in the industry for some time are also experiencing difficulties looking for new jobs.

But if we think about it, these “tenured” ones already have the edge over newbies. Still, there are chances they will not land the job.

One area where the older job hunters may get surpassed by their younger counterparts is social media. If you will talk to older job hunters, chances are you will bump into someone who does not own social media accounts, or even if they do, are not frequently updating it.

However, there’s no way you should leave a stone unturned when you are that in need of a new job. With that, beware of these common social media mistakes that older job hunters commit and avoid them at all costs.

Letting social media accounts sleep. You created a Twitter and Google+ account but you did not update them. For all you know, your friends, from your mentors to your previous work colleagues may be active on these sites. Reach out to these people by maintaining your accounts. You need not wait on every update so it should not take much of your time. Check your accounts regularly though. Interact  and reconnect with your pals in the industry. Someone might be able to direct you to potential employers.

Having no idea of your digital footprint. You might not be active online but your contacts probably are. In this case, it is safe to assume that there is always information about you online ready to greet employers. Be the first one to check what search engines say about you. Review photos you posted before. Also, you might have been tagged by friends in unflattering posts. Best to untag yourself early on and remove comments that are likely to put off potential employers or clients.

Not creating a LinkedIn profile. Employers are using social media as a tool to looking for people to work for them. It helps them trace your roots from your childhood background to your stint in the industry. Also, LinkedIn provides you the opportunity to expand your network. You get to interact with professionals within and outside your industry. You never know when someone would be able to recommend you to one of their contacts, or when potential employers sees your profile through one of your contacts. With that, remember to share some love to your followers. Share other people’s posts especially if you deem someone would find them useful.

Sharing more of the unnecessary and less of the crucial. Oversharing is one of the biggest mistakes you can commit online. Your contacts may not be interested with your posts so you need not update them everything that is happening to you especially when it has nothing to do with your brand. Also, invest time posting or sharing posts that will give readers an insight into your personality or interests. Say, you are keeping a blog to chronicle your travels. Share links of your post, which can also serve as a portfolio especially if you are practicing a related profession, say writing or photography.

Author Bio:

Nettie Gray has experienced working with both young and older people in their research-paper-writing.org. And she thinks that when it comes to talent, ages are mere figures.