How to Ruin your Bilingual Job Chances in 140 Characters

How to Ruin your Bilingual Job Chances in 140 Characters

Who could have predicted the impact social media has had on our lives in the last decade? Whether you love it or loathe it, the rise of social media is undeniable. For bilingual jobseekers, social media has the power to help you land or lose your dream job in 140 characters, so it’s essential you think carefully about what you’re posting online.

A recent survey by recruitment technology site Jobvite, found that 92 percent of recruiters now look at a candidate’s social media profile when hiring. Those recruiters looked at the following sites:

  • LinkedIn -87 percent
  • Facebook – 55 percent
  • Twitter – 47 percent
  • YouTube – 21 percent
  • Google+ – 14 percent

While your qualifications and experience will form the first part of the screening process, recruiters and employers then turn to social media to see whether a candidate is worth bringing in for interview. Used correctly, your social media profiles could elevate your bilingual job application to the top of the pile. Used wrongly, and your otherwise promising application could find itself in the bin.

Where does it all go wrong?

We are all entitled to a private life and those private lives are allowed to be fun. In fact, an active social life will usually be seen as a positive by an employer as it shows you have the potential to be a team player. LinkedIn is the platform most likely to be viewed by a prospective employer, so this is the place to put your professional face forward. Here you should comment on industry trends and news, follow the right people and generally show an interest in your chosen sector.

Facebook and Twitter are undoubtedly the two biggest social media stumbling blocks for job applicants. 69 percent of employers have rejected candidates based on their social media activity. The most common reasons cited by employers include:

  • Posting inappropriate photos or comments – 11 percent
  • Posting negative comments about a previous employer – 11 percent
  • Demonstrating poor communication skills – 11 percent
  • Posts about taking drugs – 10 percent
  • Discriminatory comments – 10 percent
  • Posts about drinking – 9 percent

Be vigilant

To prevent your social media activity from damaging your bilingual job prospects, never post anything you wouldn’t mind a potential employer seeing. If you can’t be sure your friends won’t tag you in a questionable snap, make sure you check your Facebook privacy settings.

While it is good to have an opinion, it might also be wise to steer clear of posting anything too political. While employers cannot discriminate on political grounds, they are also unlikely to employ an individual with excessively strong and potential divisive opinions.

Social media mistakes that killed a few careers

Here are a few real life examples of how social media has cost these careless workers their jobs:

– One lucky new Cisco employee tweeted: “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.” She received a reply from the hiring manager informing her the job offer had been rescinded.

– You’d think a professional social media strategist would know better, but a hapless employee who thought he had logged into his personal account tweeted the following from Chrysler’s corporate account: “I find it ironic that Detroit is known as the #motorcity and yet no one here knows how to f*cking drive.” He was sacked the next day.

– A waitress blasted two customers on Facebook for giving a lousy tip and keeping her at the restaurant till late. She also made the ingenious move to identify the restaurant by name. Needless to say, her P45 was in the post.

Find your next bilingual job at Linguistica Recruitment

At Linguistica Recruitment, we help talented linguists find bilingual jobs along the South Coast. Simply submit your CV and one of our experienced recruiters will be in touch.