The Newsy Neighbour Magazine
December Issue #110
By Gaylene Smith of McBride Career Group
My passport just arrived and my first thought was, “This had
better not be the photo the media uses if I die in a tragic shark tank diving incident.”
The last impression I want to leave to the world isn’t one of me looking like a
cross between Casper the Ghost and an inebriated orangutan. Okay that might be
a bit harsh, the orangutan was probably sober; angry but sober. I guess,
however, if I do become shark chow, there isn’t much control I have over my
last impression. Now first impressions, that I have a bit more control over.
The first impression my husband and I made on each other was
so fantastic, so powerful, so intense that neither one of us remembers when nor
how we first met. Keep that in mind while I offer some unsolicited advice on making
a strong first impression when job hunting.
First impressions are not always made face to face. Social
media now allows us to form opinions of others from the comfort of our La Z Boys.
That’s right, there could be someone right now sitting at home, munching on
chips, drinking a cola and forming opinions of you. Odds are if you go into a
job interview, the person hiring you has already a pretty good impression. Your
resume and cover letter has given them some data to decide if you are articulate,
sloppy, creative or dull. Now that’s before your name gets typed into a web
browser. What are they going to find? Perhaps a half finished LinkedIn profile?
Might as well just post a sign saying, does not complete tasks. It is better to
have no LinkedIn profile than one that is a poor reflection of you. And what to
say about Facebook? I could say so much. If you are seeking employment,
Facebook can be a great networking tool, just don’t word your post so you sound
like there is a valid reason as to why you are looking for work. “Ya so, I just
got fired from my job, the boss was an a$$ and wouldn’t give me the weekend
off. So ya, if you have a job open call me.” Don’t expect calls.
Moms and dads, this advice is for you. If your adult child
is out of work, you can for sure help by keeping an eye out for opportunities,
but posting on Facebook pages that your 22 year old would be perfect for the
job ABC Industries has open isn’t recommended. ABC’s H.R. department has made
the first impression that your child needs to be a grown up and be responsible
for expressing his or her own interest in the job. I get it, you want to help
your child succeed, or maybe just get them off your basement couch for part of
each day. Go ahead, tell them about the job you saw, just don’t be “selling” them
on Facebook, it makes employers wonder why they need Mom and Dad to job hunt
for them. And for goodness sakes, if you are going to use Facebook as a job
hunting tool, keep your profile rated PG.
Now, I will be posting some photos on Facebook soon, photos
of me and hopefully a great white or two safely separated by a thick, unbending
steel cage. And I know that these photos will maybe cause some to form impressions
of me…brave, crazy, must have lost a dare, how did they get a drunk orangutan in
a wet suit, kind of impressions. And that, my friends, is why I have my
settings set to private, because to know me is to love, or at least understand me
and one should never try to make a good first impression while squeezed into a
wet suit.
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