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3. interests. Stay active and
keep your information up
to date. An active profile
will help you in the long
run and entice employers
to want to learn more
about you.
Lastly, just as you have
your digital footprint, so
does recruiters and
hiring managers. Check
up on their digital
footprint in order to
maximise your research.
The more research you
do, the more
opportunities you have
to impress, and the
better chances you have
in securing that job! So
take a minute now to
re-evaluate your current
online presence. M ake
sure your digital legacy
is one that you are
proud of and will help
rather than haunt you
and your future career.
them a few websites
later? That's because of
your data trail. Your
data trail is stored and
collected and is a
combination of IP
address, browser
version, location,
cookies, and a variety of
different other factors
used to track your
online behaviour. . If
you visit a website, the
website usually looks at
what websites you were
on before and after you
looked at theirs. If the
website is backed by the
same advertiser, then
that information is
shared and you'll then
see adverts enticing you
to come back and visit.
It's time to capitlise
on your digital footprint.
Your digital footprint is
whatever you make it to
be. You can build a
positive online presence
relatively easy by
showcasing your skills,
experience and
not, one wrong photo
could severely affect
your chances.
N ow, now, now, we
aren't saying don't be
yourself! Your personal
brand, your creativity,
your flair for the
dramatics is what
makes you so special!
Just be sensible and
make sure you are
representing yourselves
to the best of your
abilities!
Did you know? For all
universities not named
Oxford or Cambridge
you have a 1 out of 76%
chances of landing an
interview at a job.
That's why it's
important to be weary
of your digital footprint.
Your digital footprint is
YOUR trail of data that
is left behind on the
internet. This includes
both your passive
digital footprint (the
things people might
post about you) and
your active digital
footprint (the things you
intentionally post
online). YOUR digital
footprint allows anyone
to search for you online,
regardless if your
privacy settings are
private.
Ever wonder why
after visiting a website,
you see an advert for
o you want to use
social media to help
you in your job
search? Well, you've
come to the right place!
The job market is tougher
than it has ever been and
in order to be noticed in
today's world, you must
be sharp, prepared and
digitally awared. But
wait! What exactly does
that mean?! That means
its time to CLEAN UP
YOUR SOCIAL M EDIA
PRESEN CE.
In a world where
everyone is connected to
technology all the time,
how you use it could be
the difference between
getting your dream job,
or being left out in the
cold.
M ake sure your 'online
brand' is up to scratch by
auditing it before you
start your job search. We
understand, it's not easy.
We've all done it before
too. It's easy to click
accept to that cute boy or
girl who added us on
facebook. It's easy to add
the person who you
thought you met at the
bar last night. But
becareful! Because it
actually might be a
recruiter whose friend
request you just accepted
and is now screening
your profile before hiring
or interviewing you.
Whether you intend it or
S
NOTE FROM TH E AUTHOR
M i ch ael B r own e
Business School
Employability Office
KEYWORDS:
Digital M arketing, Personal
Brand, Digital Footprint,
Social M edia, Job Search,
M arketing,
Communications
Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint | 2
An active profile will
help you in the long
run and entice
employers to want to
learn more about
you.
@M iguelitoBrowne
linkedin.com/in/msbrowne
4. A
3 | Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint
Marcom junkie looking to energise
your job search with an American
perspective so you can sleep soundly at
night, Michael Browne, MBA is an
Employability & Engagement Officer at the
University of Greenwich, Business School
Employability Office, helping you to achieve
your career potential. With over 5 years of
experience shaping communications
strategies using Marketing, Social Media,
PR, and Event Management techniques,
Michael has the proven ability to use social
media to aid you in your job search. With
his MBA in International business, and a
broad knowledge of three different markets
(UK, Spain, and the USA) Michael is
trained in a range of activities to help you
become more #JobReady.
We know how important it is for our
students to develop the skills and attributes
that will prepare them for their future
careers. The Business School Employability
Office works tirelessly to ensure that as a
Business School student you will benefit
from industry experience and receive
support that complements your programme
of study. Helping you to maximise your
potential and making you a valuable asset to
employers, we work with more than 200
companies to offer a wide range of
placement positions and mentoring
opportunities.
Through a variety of workshops, events
and drop-in sessions, the BSEO provides
opportunities, information and advice on
writing your CV, covering letters, application
forms, competency-based questions,
interview techniques, mock assessments,
and networking opportunities. Committed
and dedicated to improving the soft skills
and employability of all, the BSEO each year
prepares thousands of students to become
the next future business leader! To find out
more information about all of our services
including Erasmus, Mentoring, Placements
and the Employability Passport, please visit
us in QM245 or contact us at
busemployability@gre.ac.uk or at 020 8331
9772.
5. Yes! It actually can. But you have to be smart about it. I
have complied a list of dos and don'ts from several
sources spanning across the USand UK to give you a
comprehensive guide on how not to eliminate yourself
before the job hunt begins.
Tip #1 - Your social life, doesn't mean it has to be
EVERYONE's social life
- The occasional drinking picture is okay. What's not okay
is drug use or other illegal activities portrayed right on [job
candidates'] public Facebook profiles," says Rich
DeMatteo, founder of Com On The Job, a career blog and
community for job seekers.
Tip #2 - Extremist attitudes are an automatic red card.
- It does't matter if it's in jest. Unsavory, extremist, or
tactless humour are red flags. While we can't suppress
your freedom of speech, the liberal use of extreme
language, expression of extreme ideology and actions
might make employers question your legitimacy as a
serious candidate.
Tip #3 - Think before you click!
- Before you tweet about how bored you are at work,
before you bad mouth your employer, take a deep breath
and think ... Do you really want the whole world to see
this?Don't hastily post anything you might regret later
because its never really gone from the internet.
Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint | 4
Tip #4 - Wach ur gramma
- There's no bigger turnoff than someone who spells things
wrong, over and over again. It shows that you have no
attention to detail. If you're studying / applying for a role in
another country, then be cognisant of how things are
spelled in their society. i.e. Americans typically spell things
with a 'Z' while in the UK things are spelled with a 'S' -
cognizant vs cognisant
Tip #5 - Don't be that guy
- Everyone has that one friend, who you never hear from or
see until they want something. Social Media is a two way
street. The more willing you are to help someone, the more
likely they will be willing to help you. It's called 'social' media
for a reason. Interact!
Tip #6 - Don't identify yourself as 'unemployed' or
'jobseeker '
- Instead, identify yourself as a Graduate, or a student and
let us know what you're interested in. Unemployed /
jobseeker undermines your value and hiring managers
could easily dismiss you.
Tip #7 - Be find-able
- There's no point in having SOCIAL media, if you're
incapable of being found. While I don't condone getting on
every social media platform and spreading yourself thin,
have quality content on your pages, interact with others, and
leave your digital footmark by being proactive.
Tip #8 - Privacy Settings
- While you want to be find-able, a little bit of mystery is
good. Make sure certain posts (which shows you in a good
light) on Facebook are visible and others are inaccessible.
Same goes with Instagram and your other platforms. Google
yourself to see what is visible.
Tip #9 - Excuse me, who are you again?
- In my opinion, this should have been number 1. Personal
branding, who you are, can demonstrate that you have the
desired skills and knowledge without necessarily having the
hands on experience. Your personal brand reflects your
strengths, interests and passions. It showcases your
abilities and can help further develop relationships.
Tip #10 - Don't over-connect
- Like reply, favourite, share. But don't overdo it. Coming on
too strong could result in people alienating you. You don't
want to come off as desperate. Pick and choose and only
respond when you can bring value to a conversation.
6. acebook is the most well-known platform in the world and a gold mine for your job
search. The simplest way to finding a job is through your friends. Don't be that guy
(see tip # 5), and simply ask them for favours without building a solid relationship first. Start
building your relationship early by liking their photos, making witty comments and DM them
to see how they are doing. M ost jobs comes from referrals, so when you eventually ask them
to keep an eye out for you regarding placements, internships or grad jobs, then they'll be
much more inclined to help you out. Don't limit yourself to just your 'friends.' Connect with
your extended family, and see if you can tap into their networks as well. Supplement this by
updating your status with your current job-status / job-hunt.
Fancy working for a specific company? Did you know if you type in 'People who work at
(insert company name here) ' Facebook will tell you which friends of yours works at that
company and in which location. Facebook also shows you people who you might not know
directly, but has a shared connection with you. You could message them directly (based off of
their privacy setting) or ask your mutual friend to set up an introduction.
Don't forget to like company pages. Active companies will always post vacancies. Go to
the company page, hover over the like button, click on Get N otifications. This is a sure-fire
way to get constant updates straight to your Facebook.
If you're really tech-savvy, you could also consider setting up an AD. For a nominal fee, you
could set up an AD on Facebook with a target audience. The more specific you are, the
better! As the people who can help you, will click on your advert. Theses ads are likely to
render some interest in you.
Lastly, this is probably the most overlooked section on Facebook but one that could pay
dividends. Facebook algorithm is unique and based off of your search preference, your
interest, your likes, what you post and your 'about' section, it can suggest new people to add
to your network. It is very important to update your 'about' section using keywords to
distinguish you from the rest.
FACEB OOK F OR JOB -SEEK ERS
F
5 | Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint
7. professionals you follow.
Make sure what you tweet
them is actually relevant to
what they're doing and is
deep and thoughtful,
especially if it's something
you personally wrote. For
example:
@AnneKling I challenged
your Microsoft's lowcost
internet connectivity piece 4
class & got a 1st! Check it
out here
http://bit.ly/1JJaD42
Companies have job
related twitter handles. So if
scouring their website isn't
working. Check out their
twitter account in order to
keep up on all the job
openings.
Lastly, don't be afraid to
get in on twitterchats. These
chats are designed to help
answer some of your
questions, calm your nerves,
and provide you with
additional advice. My
favourites include:
@ratemyplacement
@guardiancareers
@StudentJobsUK
the industry. This is a way to
catch the eye of hiring
managers.
Reach out to people through
private messages. This is by
far the hardest route to follow
so confidence is key. @
someone in your field or the
company you're interested in.
Be direct and let them know
what you're looking for. Cold
tweeting is generally not a
good idea however. Dan
Finnigan, CEO of JobVite
suggests reaching out to
people only after you have
made a connection /
interacted with them 2 or 3
times through RT or
responses to tweets.
hrough Twitter you can
learn from your peers in
whatever discipline you're in,
or use it as a platform to
share content so you can
build awareness of you as a
professional, and ultimately
position yourself as a thought
leader in a particular
expertise regardless if you
believe you are or not.
Twitter is gaining on
LinkedIn as a tool for finding
employment, but you have to
be proactive. The most
common mistake job-seekers
do is RT and favour tweets.
According to a 2014 study by
Careerbuilder.co.uk, 1/3 of
companies hired job seekers
because they had creative
content. It is important to be a
strong Twitter user, tweeting
interesting observations and
interesting things that are
going on in your industry.
What makes this even more
valuable? Students your age
are typically not engaging in
discussions or are even aware
of relevant things going on in
?If someone reaches out to me out of the blue,I
ignore that,but if someone has said,two or three
times,?I watched your talk at South by Southwest
and thought you were dead on,?or ?Here?s another
article you might like on the same topic,?and that
allows me to make my presentations better,I
might be receptive.?
-Dan Finnigan CEOof Jobvite
Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint | 6
T
8. If your LinkedIn isn't on an All-Star Level, then you are already behind the 8-ball. LinkedIn
is a tool employers use to find out more information that your CV and Cover Letter doesn't
provide. Updating your profile every now and then is a waste of time. You need to be
doing more than that.
Get creative! - Unlike your CV, you can get creative. Add videos, add presentations, and
add relevant photos if possible. The more you show, the more dynamic you are, and the
more of an asset you can be towards your next company.
120 characters - You have 120 characters to show me who you are, before I divulge into
the rest of your profile. Your headline (the 120 characters beneath your name) is the first
thing employers see and should catch their eyes and their attention from the get-go.
Show what you're looking for without being overly obvious. Don't include what you study,
or your current company, but instead, tell me (in a witty way) what you're good at and
what you can bring to the table. For example: Business Management Student, looking for
overstressed CEO to make sane. OR'PRstudent ready to bring your PRstrategy into the
21st century on a placement year. Oh, and I bake cupcakes'
Avoid positioning yourself as a jack of all trades, or you will look like a master of none. -
Nothing frustrates a recruiter more than someone who doesn't give a straight answer.
Are you more of an Accountant? A Financier? or a Economist? Sure, all three are good
transferable skills, but don't sell yourself as all three. Instead, show me (with quality
examples) how you're exceptional at one, and how you use the other two to supplement
your work.
Standard LinkedIn messages are so last year. Personalise every message and invitations
to connect. Most professional ignore standard messages. Let them know why you want to
connect. It helps forge a relationship. If you are unable to pull the trigger, get one of your
friends to introduce you! As stated several times before, people respond better when you
have a ongoing relationship. Don't be so rushed to ask for a favour without spending a
signficant amount of time chit-chatting, especially if you haven't spoken to them in a
while.
Use keywords early and often throughout your profile. Keywords are words that appears
in text that if searched on the internet, will bring recruiters to your profile. Keywords are
generally mostly associated to what you study and what profession you will get into.
Strategically place them into your text. Search engines picks up on strategically placed
keywords, and will bring your profile to the forefront. Search engines rejects and place
candidates who simply list keywords without content lower in the search results, thus
making you less findable.
Join groups and engage - You don't need to be an industry expert, you just need to say
something interesting. It could be a related blog you wrote, a quirky video that's insightful
or an event that is relevant. Someone will respond, and when they do, that's your way in.
Fi n d a Job On Li n k edI n
The power of the
personal
recommendation has
risen hugely in
importance. It opens
doors and builds social
capital. Improve your
job prospects with
LinkedIn
recommendations.
- Jody Day
University of Cambridge
Business School
Take and give
recommendations very
seriously.
Recommendations add
value and credibility to
your profile. When you
ask for a
recommendation make
sure you remind them
of some of the projects
you have worked on.
M ost people hate
writing
recommendations, so
make it as easy for
them as possible. In
addition, as good
business practice,
make sure you write
one back if you feel
comfortable.
Recommendations
follow you for life.
M ake sure whoever is
recommending you or
you're recommending
is of good solid
character.
Share content and
respond to all
comments. Interaction,
and sharing content
(content you or one of
your connections has
posted) has proven to
raise your profile
views and receive new
invitations. LinkedIn is
a community, and the
less interactive you
are, the less you are
going to get out of it.
7 | Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint
9. Blogging 4 Success
A well crafted blog can be a great way of
directing attention your way. In addition to
the traditional social media platforms (FB,
Twitter, LinkedIn) blogs and personal
websites further highlights and enhances
your personal brand. Unlike other
platforms, there's not nearly as many
restrictions when it comes to blogging. But
there's an abundance of tips to help you
write more interesting content.
Before you begin crafting your
masterpiece, it is crucial to consider your
audience (who is going to read it) and what
you'll write about. I advise you to have a
topic (politics, films, life as a Greenwich
student, entertainment) and be true and
consistent to that area of expertise. That's
not to say that venturing outside your
comfort zone and blogging about things that
are outside your professional knowledge is
bad, but by sticking to a topic, you'll
eventually build dedicated followers and
show insight that employers yearn for.
Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint | 8
Blogging is all about your personal brand.
Personal brand only gets notice when it's
marketed. If your blog is only on your blog,
then you're doing it wrong. Recruiters will
not go digging for information. Add it to
your social media and add it to your
LinkedIn profile. I'm an advocate for writing
posts on LinkedIn instead of using a
blogging platform, but as long as it's on your
CV and on your LinkedIn profile, then you're
on the right track.
It doesn?t have to be dramatic, it doesn?t
have to be heart wrenching- but until you
become blog famous, talking about what
you ate for lunch simply doesn't cut it. Don't
worry, most of us, including myself struggles
at first to find our voice. The key thing to
remember is that not every blog post is
going to win an Oscar. Always review your
content before submitting and ask yourself
?If I was coming to this blog for the first
time, would this post keep me coming
back??
When blogging, keywords are very
important in getting notice. My favourite
website to determine which keywords to
use (or to avoid) especially in my CV is
Indeed.com/jobtrends . Type some of the
keywords you are planning on using and see
just how frequent they are being used.
Keywords are important and should be
relatively consistent from blog to blog.
Once you've added tags to your post,
readers can click those tags and see a
search results page listing all posts with
the same tag. For example, if you've added
interior design as a tag, a reader who clicks
on another post's interior design tag will
see your post in search results.
- John White, MBA
Social Media Marketing Director at Social
BusinessStrategiesand CareerToolBox
10. I n st agr am
A picture is worth a thousand words, so
don't be afraid to use Instagram to build
your personal brand. Use hashtags to
target specific companies. By following
companies, learning about their values
and connecting with them, you can learn
how to tweak your account to showcase
your interest in all the things that
company is interested in.
Once you've done that, I suggest tagging
them specifically to garner their
attention. It might be a good idea to have
a separate account if you do this. (Unless
you want your dream country to see all
your embarrassing pictures from Friday
night). Remember, post things that are
not only relevant to the company but also
portrays things about yourself!
9 | Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint
You t u be
N ot only is it possible to use Youtube to
get a job, but it's becoming a more
popular option. 3 ways you can use
Youtube to get a job are:
1. Promote yourself - promote yourself and
your skills in a creative, edgy video. What
are you good at? Can you offer useful help
videos on a particular issue? Whatever you
decide to do, make sure your content is
visually attractive and make sure you
properly tag your videos to maximize SEO.
2. Post and hope - H ey... it worked for
Justin Bieber!
3. Enter online contest - Companies big
and small runs contests to find that special
someone. Even if you don't win, you can
still use your witty, creative, engaging
videos as a launch pad for other
opportunities.
Thi nki ng Out si de The Box!
11. FINAL THOUGHTS
It is important to know the limits and treat your digital footprint in a professional manner. If you
utilise your social media to your advantage, you might be approached by a recruiter to work for their
company. Unfortunately, not everyone is who they say they are and they could be out there to scam
you. If you have any questions regarding this, or if you have any suspicions, please feel free to
contact the Business School Employability Office with regards to this manner.
There are many advantages of using social media effectively, so make sure you make the most out of
it! Make sure you connect with the Business School Employability Office in order to further help and
support you throughout your years at the University of Greenwich!
Useful links:
https://www.facebook.com/BusinessSchoolEmployabilityOffice
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/uofgbseo
https://twitter.com/UofG_BSEO
http://www.ratemyplacement.co.uk
http://careercake.com/
http://www.careerplayer.com/
https://targetjobs.co.uk/
Recruitment and YOUR Digital Footprint | 10
12. U n i ver si t y of Gr een wi ch Qu een M ar y 245 bu sem pl oyabi l i t y@gr e.ac.u k 020 8331 9772
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