Have you added Instagram as a tool for your job search?
Our online presence is important in a solid job-hunting plan. In-person networking can be difficult during the pandemic. This means that it’s vital to align all your social media profiles with your job search. Companies are increasingly using Instagram to present their own brand, gain clients, sell products, and even recruit employees. If companies you want to work for are on Instagram, you need to be there too, in a way that will show how employable you are.
Why Use Instagram for Your Job Search?
In 2018 Jobvite reported that 25% of companies were actively recruiting on Instagram. That number has continued to increase as social media platforms become integrated into marketing and recruitment strategies for corporations. Instagram can be leveraged to expand your personal brand and make you the perfect job candidate. Instagram is focused on images: pictures, memes, and quotes are common. You can use this visual platform to show prospective employers a sneak peek into your communication style, interests, and skills.
How to Implement an Instagram Strategy
Now it’s time to examine your Instagram account. Unless you’ve already been using Instagram to build your personal brand you will need to invest some time into updating your images, profile, and link. Here’s five steps to prep your Insta for job hunting:
- Make your headshot match with your other social media, especially LinkedIn.
- Use your bio to share your personal brand or career goals.
- Change the link in your bio to point to your LinkedIn profile or portfolio website.
- Clean up your old posts and delete anything that isn’t work-friendly.
- Start posting content that supports your vision for your career.
Related: Social Media Profiles: Consistency Is Key
What to Post on Instagram
Put yourself in the shoes of a recruiter. What kinds of things would you be looking for on potential candidates’ social media? Certainly, you can post photos of you having fun on your summer vacation, but also make sure to post photos of your volunteer work, shots of your resume, samples of your work, and photos of events or training that you’ve attended. Instagram is a place to show how well rounded you are. Show off your hobbies, and think about how to use them to highlight how focused, organized, or creative you are. If want to be hired in the music industry, post about your favorite bands. If you are in the car industry, show some pictures from when you changed your brakes or the car rally you went to.
Postable Instagram Content:
- Examples of your work
- Inspirational quotes
- Samples of your resume
- Moments from your life
- Networking or training events you attended
- Hobbies
- Volunteer work
- Sports you participate in
- Reposts of on-point content from other Instagram accounts
- Videos snippets to share professional tips or moments from your life
What Not to Post
Some things are just not appropriate for work, which means they’re not appropriate for your Instagram either. One way to think about it is “the grandma rule”: if you wouldn’t show it to your grandmother, don’t post it on social media. You want your Instagram to be the friendly and approachable sidekick to your LinkedIn profile, not the reason your resume gets sent to the bottom of the pile.
Related: Career-Friendly Social Media
Wrapping It Up
Social media has become a part of the modern professional landscape. You can utilize this to your advantage to show off a little of your personality and fun. By aligning your Instagram account with your LinkedIn profile and other social media you can show your commitment to professionalism. When you’re job hunting it’s important to put your best foot forward and you can be sure that your prospective employer will be looking at your social media to get a better sense of who you are during work and during off-hours.
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