Teachers and parents have a pivotal role to play in encouraging pupils to take their online reputation seriously.
Did you know that up to 94% of employers vet applicants online first? It is not hard to track down social media footprints of these applicants. If pupils are behaving inappropriately online, they could jeopardise their job prospects.
In order to help pupils, make smarter choices online, teachers and parents should read up on reputation management, resumes and video interviews in the digital age – and then they should make sure that the pupils within their spheres of influence understand precisely what is at stake.
Online Reputation Matters
Three-quarters of recruiters are more than willing to go online to research job candidates. Seven in 10 have rejected candidatesbased on what they discovered online.
It’s important that pupils, who are working towards their degrees and career aspirations, know their online reputations count for a lot.
Reputation-Building Tips
LinkedIn, an online social media site for professionals, is a must for pupils looking to build a solid online reputation. They can showcase their resume and look for job opportunities. LinkedIn has become significant for job seekers in recent years, with some 10 million roles being advertised on the channel.
Profiles 101
Personal profiles should be kept personal. In other words, they should be made available only to select people; they should not contain inappropriate content; and should not have usernames that are the same as the account holders’ real names.
For professional profiles, pupils should include professional photos; use their real names as their username; and stick to posting only industry-specific content.
Video Resume
In the digital age, it pays to have a video resume. Pupils should be encouraged to take advantage of video resumes to differentiate themselves from the majority of people who still do resumes the ‘old fashioned way’.
Remember, innovation and creativityare fast becoming the top desired traitsin new employees.
Personal Websites/Blogs
Having a personal website which showcases the students work and interests as well as their video resume is also an asset. Recruiters will appreciate the ease at which they can access the information they need about the candidate. A personal website also provides a space for the student to showcase their own style and creativity. For students looking to go into ICT or graphics related fields, a website is a great way to build and showcase a portfolio of work over time.
Video Interviews
Many pupils are likely already familiar with Skype, Google Hangouts or other similar video-chat applications. It should not be hard, then, for pupils to grasp the concept of participating in video interviews. Be sure to give them some pointers, though, on making the right impressions – from making eye contact to having good posture to dressing appropriately. A video interview should be prepared for and conducted in exactly the same way you would a face-to-face interview.
A lot is at stake for students in this digital age. But if they use technology responsibly, they’ll do just fine in leveraging the power of the Internet to get ahead in a competitive job market.
Source for statistics: https://expandedramblings.com/index.php/linkedin-job-statistics/
By: Simon Noakes
