Did you know that when people view a photo of you, they form an impression within 1/10 of a second? It’s very likely that there are plenty of photos of you online. Where? On your social media of course.
Employers and recruiters are checking your social media profiles more than ever before. When you apply for a job, they want to find out more about you and social media can often tell them a lot. While most of us now ensure that our privacy settings restrict what outsiders can see, the one thing that usually remains visible is your profile picture and also a cover photo.
Whether you are actively looking for a new job, or are simply open to the possibility of new opportunities, the photos on your social media are very important. 90% of employers are now using social media to recruit, so you could be approached about an exciting opportunity at any time, but only if you look the part.
So what’s important when it comes to your social media photos?
LinkedIn – Your LinkedIn profile is hugely important given that it is a professional network and 94% of employers are using it as part of their recruitment process! Your photo needs to look professional. Recruiters spend an average time of 6 seconds looking at a LinkedIn profile and 19% of that time is spent looking at the profile picture.
Facebook and Twitter – These networks are predominantly used for personal social purposes, so there’s nothing wrong with a profile image of you and your friends. However, what you don’t want to put on show is you looking a little worse for wear at the end of a night out or anything else that may raise questions in an employer’s mind. Trust us, this happens and we have seen a lot of questionable photos on social media in our time!
For more stats on how employers are using social media and what you can do to ensure that your profile photo sells you, take a look at the infographic below.
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