social media presence / social media management / how to get followers on Instagram / how to increase followers on instagram / social media growth / how to be an influencer / social media growth strategies

Uncovering social media’s impact on your career and how you can weaponise it

. 4 min read . Written by Vanshika Goenka
Uncovering social media’s impact on your career and how you can weaponise it

For better or for worse, social media has become an integral part of all our everyday routines. If you’re like us, the first thing you do when you wake up is to reach for your phone to check your Instagram and Twitter updates. At this point, it’s become an extension of our identity, and living without social media just sounds drab.

However, we’re here to tell you that your social media presence can be used for more than just your personal life. What you may not realise is that your Instagram account can also help you in a professional setting. How? you may wonder?

That’s one of the many questions that Kool Kanya PowerPass can answer for you. It highlights all you need to know about social media management and provides insider tips on subjects like how to get more followers on Instagram, or how to monetise your content as an influencer.

Kool Kanya courses cover social media growth strategies among other topics in the fields of digital marketing, social media, content creation, and much more. Open yourself up to a whole new world of creative learning with Kool Kanya PowerPass!

While you get cracking on that, we’ll help you out with a glimpse of how you can use your social media presence to give you a boost in your professional life.

Social media’s impact on your career

Your social media presence can create a big impact on your career trajectory, especially if you’re working in a creative field. These days, your online presence is equivalent to an online CV. In addition to referring to your resume and work portfolio, employers also check your online presence.

A 2018 CareerBuilder survey highlights that around 70 per cent of employers use social media to screen prospects during the hiring process. If they see what they like, the chances of getting hired increase.

While what you post on social media is a private matter, it is highly indicative of your personality and the kind of person you are, which is what potential employers are interested in seeing. Anything you post publicly can affect your job opportunities and career, whether you like it or not. So why not use it to your advantage?

Here are 5 action points that can help you weaponise the exposure and publicity social media gets you. Get ready to build a strong social media presence and impress employers as well as clients!

  1. Your social accounts are your online portfolio

Your social media helps you showcase your work publicly. It serves as an online work portfolio but it provides you with the freedom to be informal and creative. If you’re a content writer or copy writer, writing regular blogs and participating in creative copy challenges online can get you more exposure.

If you’re a content creator or designer, uploading creatives or content following the latest trends highlights how your creativity knows no bounds. Getting a chance to see your work and ideas displayed in a limitless and informal manner can impress a recruiter much quicker than your CV.

2. Stay active on more than one platform

Visibility is key.

Having an active presence on multiple platforms increases the chances of employers noticing and remembering your name.

It also expands your network and allows you to connect with multiple people present on different platforms. Moreover, you’ll be familiar with various platforms, showing your employers that you would be an effective choice for creative careers such as social media management.

Above that, posting often is important if you wish to stay on the top of people’s minds and show your employers how committed you are. Additionally, posting relevant content or updates shows that not only are you active but you’re also aware of the latest trends.

3. LinkedIn is not the only platform employers check

Since LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, it is a given to maintain it and be active. However, employers are also aware of this fact. This is why they tend to dig deeper than just your LinkedIn profile.

Thus, you must simultaneously stay active and post regularly on other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, too. Ensuring that your LinkedIn profile is spotless is a great thing, but at the same time, it is important to post relevant content and network with people on other platforms.

Neglecting them from a professional perspective could have negative effects on your hiring chances and also lowers the possibility of you finding a diverse base of clients as a freelancer.

4. Be careful about what you post

Remember that time when a NASA intern posted an expletive-loaded tweet after receiving an acceptance letter to the prestigious space program? Her usage of strong words grabbed the attention of a NASA Council member, leading to her losing out on the internship opportunity. The brief Twitter exchange went viral in seconds, serving as a reminder of how one wrong post can upturn your career.

According to The Society for Human Resource Management, 43% of organisations screen candidates through social media, and 36% have disqualified applicants as a result of their findings.

This makes it extremely crucial to think twice before you post anything on a public account online. Highlighting a controversial opinion or badmouthing your previous company may negatively implicate you.

5. Keep networking and connecting

The main purpose of social media is to connect with new people and expand your network, so keep this in mind while using your social accounts.

Constantly connecting and chatting with new people increases your chances of landing quality jobs, converting more clients, and getting references. Growing your network also encourages your social media growth and comes in handy in unexpected situations.

If you play it right, maintaining a positive and professional social media presence can be a great help to your professional growth and career development. The Kool Kanya “Boost your brand on social media” course talks about social media growth and social media management in an easy-to-understand and practical way.

If you’re wondering how to increase followers on Instagram or how you can establish your brand more firmly on social media, joining this course will get you started. Enrol in the Kool Kanya course today to #RaiseYourPower and take your social media game to the next level!