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Social Media. Is it Right for Thing Your Future? 1

Social Media. Is it Right Thing for Your Future?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Social Media during a Job Search.

Sarah McDowell (smcdwell)

The University of Memphis

Business Communications - MGMT 3510 M51 – 20161020487

Professor Dewey Hemphill

April 3rd, 2016


Social Media has become a widely used tool for people to communicate with one

another. Long lost friends can be reconnected, people can learn about breaking news and sports

updates that they may have missed, and they can also get information from up and coming events

such as their best friend’s birthday, an annual clearance sale from their favorite store, and even

concerts that they may not want to miss. Because social media has become so popular in

people’s everyday lives, they feel as though they cannot live without it. Although it has its

wonderful features that can help people in numerous ways, it may not always be a good idea for

people to share everything that they do. When someone is looking for a job they may want to be

cautious with what they put onto their social media pages that could easily prevent them from a

being hired. There are some advantages and disadvantages of using social networking while job

hunting and after reviewing some of the benefits and weaknesses it may possibly help someone

who is seeking for a career.

The first and most important thing about using social media while job searching is the

“impression” that someone profile can give off while observing his or her page (wisestep.com,

2015. web). Facebook is prominently known for sharing post, and occasionally people will share

something that they think is funny but someone else may see it as an offensive slur. The popular

social media website is also known for posting memories. For example, if someone decided to

post their pictures of their adventures from Bourbon St. last Saturday night and it was captioned

as “We’re such party animals”, it would give off a bad impression to any employer who is

looking to hire them. According to SRAVANI of wisestep.com, “…a survey directed by the

portal CareerBuilder in 2014, found that many applicants were passed on by recruiters because

employers found their social media profiles to be inappropriate, around fifty-one percent of

employers thought so” (SRAVANI, 2015. web). Since fifty-one percent of employers pass on


candidates applying for a job positions, that shows that a large number of candidates are not

being hired because of mistakes being made on their social media pages. However, there are

some advantages to using social media while job hunting. Employers are not only looking at

applicant’s social media pages to find their dirty laundry but they are also looking at other things

that could help them land the job. As stated by CareerBuilder.com, 29% of managers found

something positive on the profile page that offered the candidate the job. The employer got a

good feel from candidate’s profile and found a sense of professionalism in them. This also goes

back to how people can make an impression on social media. If the applicant’s social media

pages are professional and well structured, this would give the employer more of a feel for what

they are looking for (CareerBuilder.com, 2013. web).

The next important thing to be aware of while using social media during a job search is

knowing that “social media is an open platform” (wisestep.com, 2015. web). This means that

anything that a candidate puts onto their social media page is there for anyone and everyone to

see. If someone has a particular sense of humor, shares racist or homophobic posts that may

offend other people’s views, and also political opinions that others could also disagree with, it

may alter the employer’s decision on whether or not to hire them. Another downfall about social

media being on a platform is that if someone applies for a job, the employer who is looking at

their information could also see all of the other places that the candidate has applied to. Because

of this, the employer may feel as though that they may not take the offer because they have

applied for so many other job potions (SRAVANI, 2015. web). Nevertheless, social media can

still have advantages while job searching. According to Alasdair Smith of chron.com “With one

in four people around the world using social networking, according to industry research firm

eMarketer, these sites have the potential to hook someone up with thousands of concurring


individuals and recruiters, guaranteeing visibility in the jobs market”. For example, LinkedIn

may be a better way for someone to show their resume, professional skills, and portfolio rather

than Facebook and Twitter because a person is more likely to share how they feel and less likely

to show professionalism on those networking sites (Smith, 2014. web).

The final two important disadvantages to look for while using social media during a job

search are “Discrepancies can be harmful” and “Incomplete profiles work against you”

(wisestep.com, 2015. web). These two disadvantages go together because if a candidate has

multiple social media accounts and they are not careful with what they put on each individual

one, it can show the employer that they may be dishonest (SARVANI, 2015. web). As an

example, if an applicant shows respect on Facebook because they know that their family also

uses that networking site but post profanity and pictures of themselves partying on Twitter, it

could show dishonesty. Incomplete profiles can also be a disadvantage because if a candidate is

missing key information on a profile it can come off as careless. LinkedIn would be a good

example of a social networking site that would need to be looked over carefully because it is

considered a recruiting website for companies and businesses looking for new employees to take

on jobs. However, if the applicant forgot to put in important information then those companies

will gladly look over them. CrossRoads.com explains the last advantage of using social media

while job hunting. Social media is so popular and widely used by millions of users that if a

person is in the market for a career then it will automatically alert hundreds of people and also

friends and family members that can pass on the message (CrossRoads, 2015. web).

Networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. have become a huge priority

in people’s everyday lives but there can be some disadvantages and advantages of using social

media while searching for a job. The disadvantages that a candidate needs to be aware of while


job hunting is the impression you put off onto your profiles, social media can be an open

platform for anyone to look at, discrepancies can be harmful, and incomplete profiles can work

against you. However, the advantages of using social media is that 29% of employers still look

for the positive things in profiles, networking sites such as LinkedIn can help show off

someone’s resume, skills, and portfolio that can help land a job, and finally posting that you are

in the job market onto Facebook and Twitter can help improve your search for finding a job.

After researching this topic, there seem to be more disadvantages than there are advantages for

social networking and because of this whoever is on the market for the job should be extra

careful with what they put onto their profiles.


References

CrossRoads. (2015, May 16). Pros and Cons of Social Networking for Job Search. Received from CrossRoads.com

Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

Smith, Alasdair. (2014, Jan 8). The Advantages & Disadvantages of Social Networking for Job Hunting. Received from work.chron.com

SRAVANI. (2015, May 8). Top 20 Disadvantages of Using Social Media for Job Search. Received from wisestep.com