Autogram’s Guide to Social Media for Freshers

In the digital age, getting ahead in most industries requires a certain level of social media savvy. Even traditional industries like manufacturing now require digital production, online marketing and social media to stay relevant. In this light, having a clean and impressive social media presence is a key part of being an attractive job candidate to employers. Below, Autogram offers five tips on how to enhance your social media and make them as appealing to employers as possible:

1. Be careful what you post!: This is by far the most important one! While you can get away with having a bare social media presence, you cannot get away with having an offensive or obscene one. Videos of you acting sloppy drunk are a big no-no, as are offensive captions, pictures and symbols. A rule of thumb is, if you wouldn’t want your parents to see it, you probably wouldn’t want your employers to either. Another thing to remember is that while you might privately hold certain controversial opinions, splashing these all over social media is generally a bad idea as you never know where these could spread. If you wouldn’t say it in an interview, why are you saying it on a public profile open to any and all employers?
2. Share posts that are relevant to your audience and field: Analyze the tone that your industry uses on different social media and try to imitate that in what you post. For example, if you are looking to get into HR consulting, follow pages that regularly post about HR (Autogram often does!) and try to share their posts, adding additional comments to make it seem like you are actually reading the material and not just blindly reposting.
3. Garner a following on social media to show your entrepreneurial bent: Nowadays, social media is not just a tool to connect with friends and family. Spaces like Instagram and YouTube have huge creative potential and can be used to showcase work you are proud of or interested in doing. So, for example, while you might be interested in marketing, by posting videos you make in your free time on Instagram, you are showing potential employers you could help them create video content as a part of your marketing strategy. In this way, your Instagram profile acts almost as a portfolio of its own. By gaining followers through posting exciting and innovative content, you are more likely to be seen by industry professionals.
4. Reach out and create professional networks on social media: Some social media (Linkedin is the biggest one) are designed specifically to help you reach out and get involved in professional networks. Use these to get updates on job opportunities, employer preferences and industry standards. At the same time, Twitter, Instagram and other social media are also emerging as ways to engage with potential employers. Companies routinely post internship and job openings on their social media now. Make sure to follow organizations you are interested in on all their social media to never miss out on these updates!
5. Get creative: If you are not into traditional social media, remember there are many other spaces to engage creatively- Behance, Vfiles, Etsy are some examples. Since these are primarily creative networks, you can avoid the hassle of traditional social media (constant birthday notifications, political gaslighting etc) and instead create portfolios and reach out to other creatives in your line or industry.

Even in such a digitized world, it is still possible to exist off the radar. If you are someone who prefers to keep their private life private, you can change your settings to ensure that no one but a chosen few can even view your social media. Nevertheless, in an environment where the digital often transcends the real, having a vibrant and impressive social media presence is bound to be an advantage. And with increasingly more spaces available for every type of person, why not give it a try?

For personalized information on how to handle your social media, follow Autogram on Facebook, Instagram (@myautogram) and Twitter (@myautogram) for updates on our new mock interview and feedback service