The Life of a Job Seeker: Episode 19
Episode 19: Social Media Saga
While Kobi enjoyed his job, he remained on the lookout for employment opportunities for Sophia and Faruq.
Soon, some vacancies were announced at the company where he worked, and employees were given opportunity to recommend candidates. Kobi felt that was a great opportunity to help his friends get employed, and so he recommended them. Since Kobi was close to the HR, the HR paid more attention to Kobi’s recommendation.
Luckily, Faruq and Sophia were shortlisted for employability assessment. They prepared ardently for the interview with the help of Kobi, and the they left a beautiful impression on the HR after their assessment.
Two weeks later, Faruq and Sophia received a congratulatory mail from the company, inviting them for the collection of their appointment letter.
The friends were ecstatic and couldn’t wait to receive their appointment letter before going shopping for workplace attires.
Collection of appointment letter.
Congratulations once again, the HR said to the 2 friends. He offered Faruq his employment letter, and just as he was about presenting Sophia’s letter to her from a file, his countenance changed as he flipped through a document in her file. It was a report of a background check on Sophia.
Errrm…… Sophia, I am sorry you didn’t get the job! Why, Sophia asked in a gloomy voice.
The HR responded; it is our company’s policy to do background check on applicants before hiring them. But because you were recommended by a staff, I didn’t pay attention to studying the report before inviting you. I am just getting to see the report now, and there are some unpleasant comments in it.
In one of your recent Facebook postings; you stated that you can’t wait to get employed so as to be gossiping with your co-workers about your Boss and customers. Gossiping about Boss and clients is against our company’s etiquette. Sophia tried to explain that the post was just a meme for fun and she didn’t mean it, but the HR wasn’t listening.
He continued, in another post, you stated that “life is too short to be troubled by another. If someone annoys you, treat their fuckup instantly and don’t give a damn!. If person provoke me, I fit knack am 2 by 2 for head” Post like this indicate that you are a very volatile and intolerant person.
In a subsequent post, we ………….. Sophia interjected, appealing and claiming that all of the posts were for fun, but HR refused to listen to her!
I am sorry for putting your hopes up with this invitation, we can’t hire you based on this report.
Lesson 13: Never Leave Mess on your Social Media
What one posts on social media says a lot about them. It speaks volumes about their personality; what they do, who they socialize with, how they behave etc
Seventy percent of businesses use social media to screen applicants before making a hiring decision. They examine applicants’ profiles and social media posts to learn more about their personalities and determine whether they are a good fit for their organization and/or the position they are applying for.
This is precisely why applicants must exercise caution when using social media. This does not, however, imply that social media should be avoided.
In fact, if an employer can’t find any trace of an applicant online, it might ring alarm bells. The world has become digitally revolutionised that individuals who do not have social media presence are considered to be uncivilised, especially if the job they are applying for requires that they have a digital presence. E.g., For Social Media Manager.
As a result, having a social media presence with a professional image is critical.
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