In today’s tech savvy social media platforms are becoming an integral part of the recruitment process—and those in the retail brokerage industry are no different. Whether you use a recruiter like Michael King or want to go it alone, how you appear to your prospective employer makes all the difference in a world where your most valuable asset—you—is only one Google away.

You’re Being Watched

Assume that any prospective employer is Googling you prior to your initial interview. And always assume that they’re investigating in depth any presence you have on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, as you move through first, second and third interviews. Make sure there are no inappropriate posts, links or photos on any of these sites, even if a friend or colleague uploaded or linked to the item(s) in question. In particular, never post any kind of criticism of a boss, coworker or client, let alone anything that may be considered illegal, sexual, or discriminatory. In general, just assume that your potential employer is reading everything you do online.  So keep it positive.  In fact, positivity and the ability to build relationships is what all employers want to see.

Cross Your Ts: You Are Your Brand

An incomplete or lackluster profile is worse than no profile at all and can make prospective employers lose confidence in you.  Ensure that your online profiles, particularly the one listed at LinkedIn, are complete, polished, and truly reflect the breadth of your experience in the brokerage industry. Consider your LinkedIn headline and profile your personal positioning or branding statement: your prospective employer is going to use this profile, in conjunction with your resume and cover letter, to determine whether its worth bringing you in for an interview.

Who You Know Matters

Reach out to your network for positive recommendations, as you never know how or to whom you’re connected.  Your future boss will look just as closely at your online connections as she will at your profile. Don’t waste your time accepting connections with people who don’t reflect the message you want to send to prospects: there’s a very good chance an interviewer will contact one of your connections to develop a clearer picture of who you are as an individual.

Be Subtle….

While we here at Michael King are working hard to find you your dream job—we’d like you to go on with business as usual. This is not only a professional way to conduct business, leaving your current employer with a positive experience of you only helps build your personal brand equity. Further, just as you should assume that future employers are looking at your online presence, assume that current employers and coworkers may be monitoring your presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Instead of advertising that your looking for a new position—and anxious to leave your current one—use your profiles to detail your work experience and highlight your current job position title, responsibilities and career aims. In addition, join groups focused on the retail brokerage industry as some recruiters routinely seek candidates through them. Finally, be sure to set your LinkedIn account settings so that every time you form a new connection—say with a retail brokerage recruiter—everyone in your network isn’t notified.

Take It Offline

Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter should be complements to the work we do for you. In other words any help you can give us to solidify the relationships we build for you can make all the difference. Keep in mind, however, that a reference from a trusted source like Michael King is invaluable: We save both parties valuable time finding the right position for both you and your prospective employer, and time is everyone’s most precious commodity. So use these well-known social media platforms to build your personal brand and network, but using both on and offline avenues stacks the cards in your favor for finding the job of your dreams.

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