In a recent survey of hiring managers by social media monitoring service Reppler, 91% of respondents said they use social networking sites to screen their candidates.

And a whopping 69% of them have rejected job seekers based on inappropriate photos, comments, and sharing on social media sites.

Now that you have the facts, you should be asking yourself: What can I do to make sure my Social Self is helping me get a job and not scaring off prospective employers?

Check out our 6 Social Media Job Hunting Tips to make sure that you’re getting a competitive advantage using social media.

1. Get Your Profiles up to Scratch

Make sure each of your “social selves” is professional and full of information. That means (depending on the platform): a professional picture, bio, location, recommendations, portfolio or portfolio link.  

2. Connect with the Right People

Join groups and follow companies you’re interested in on Twitter and LinkedIn. You’ll get a personal connection, which may mean you may hear about job openings and will be able to intelligently talk about the company when you interview.

3. Engage with Others in a Positive Way

Don’t just ask for a job, engage with others about what interests them. Keep it friendly, interesting, and avoid anything inappropriate.

4. Post Regularly

You’ll need frequent posts and engagement to be socially successful. Once a month just won’t cut it. Try a few times a week. Don’t have time? Use a service like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to manage your posts. Or Buffer to schedule your posts and get recommendations on times and content to share!

5. Let Your Personality Show (in a Good Way)

Your potential employer will want to get a sense of who you are, as cultural fit is a huge factor in hiring decisions. Which means you should always try to remember who your audience is.

6. Have a Plan

Block out 30 minutes a day to catch up LinkedIn and Twitterfeeds. This is a great way to gather information that will help you connect with individuals daily. With a plan you’ll make sure you don’t waste your time surfing the web and getting distracted on Facebook!

Any great tips to add? Leave them in our comments section!

Image Source: Nan Palmero