For those in the market for a new job, it’s true that now is the best time to consider applying for the position you desire.  Applications and resumes rarely tell the whole story or the complete story of who you are and whether you are the best candidate for the job.  Let’s just assume you meet all or most requirements for a job and you think you have a good shot at getting it.  You are now eagerly awaiting response but again you receive notification that you were not selected.  What do you do now? 

If you have done all the right things like having your resume professionally formatted and edited; custom word-matching the common terms in your resume to the job description; and drafting a compelling cover letter that speaks to the value you’ll bring to the table, what more should you do?

Your friend Google will put your real profile in front of a potential hiring manager or recruiter in a matter of seconds.  This is your online profile and it will likely determine if your resume moves forward or gets the “deep six.”  Ask yourself these questions before applying to another job: do you have derogatory content tied to your profile; do you have a long history of positive sharing/commenting on content related to your field of specialty; and lastly, what are others saying about you (endorsements)?

Obviously, negative content tied to your profile will eliminate your job candidacy (as it should) but likewise, not having an online profile will not boast well for you either.  Social media can be a great tool that you can use to get discovered but it requires effective management from day one (even the early days).  Under no circumstance should you post or be connected to anything that may suggest you are a person of division and intolerance whether you have mad skills or not.  Look at your profile from the eyes of an employer to see if you would hire someone like yourself.

Happy hunting and best of luck in achieving your goals.

~H2