Applying for a new job? Consistency counts
If you caught this week’s ApochroMinute, you know that it’s important for your résumé, cover letter, references, and other materials to have consistent fonts, margins, and headers. Making sure your materials appear consistent is important, and once you have that taken care of, you can help your candidacy by making sure you are putting forth a professional image.
Remember that people making hiring decisions want to hire someone professional and reliable. They don’t want to wonder which version of a candidate will show up on the first day, or the twentieth. Here are three steps to put forth a consistent professional image in your job search.
Make your LinkedIn profile and résumé consistent
Step one is to start by reviewing your LinkedIn profile. I routinely see candidates with different position titles or dates on their résumé and LinkedIn. That doesn’t mean you want to copy and paste all of the details from your résumé into your LinkedIn profile. The goal is just to make sure that the information on LinkedIn is consistent with your résumé. If this seems like a hassle, remember that your goal is to present a professional image, and if a potential employer is left wondering whether you are misrepresenting your experience or are just sloppy, neither answer helps you.
Forget the #DollyPartonChallenge
Once your LinkedIn and résumé are consistent, step two is to make sure your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media profiles are consistent with your professional image. Yes, I know the #DollyPartonChallenge suggests otherwise, but you should consider using your LinkedIn headshot as your profile photo across social media, at least as long as you are actively searching for a job. Another way is to make sure that your social media bios and other sections anyone can see are consistent with your candidacy.
That goes beyond the obvious of getting rid of or hiding posts that give off an image that doesn’t align with how you want to be viewed. We all know that a Facebook profile where you’re doing a keg stand or a Tweet bragging about going to work hung over will not do your career any favors. But beyond that, make sure that, for example, if you are applying for a job in Michigan, your bio doesn’t say “Californian for life.”
Here’s an example of why this matters. I once was assigned to interview a candidate for a position that required substantial travel. She was an excellent candidate in many ways, so I was surprised when she wasn’t selected by the search committee. I asked why and learned through the grapevine that another interviewer had friended her on Facebook and saw multiple posts where she had complained about disliking air travel. In fact, her bio called her a “homebody at heart.” Maybe her views had changed, but she didn’t have the chance to even explain the discrepancy — with busy interviewers and lots of good candidates, it was easier to not hire her than risk hiring someone who would be miserable with the travel required, wouldn’t stay in the job, or might not even accept the job.
Make your email consistent with the image you want to promote
As you’re making your documents and social media profiles consistent with your image and application materials, step three is to make sure your email address is consistent with the image you want to project.
You already know that your email address shouldn’t say “partyanimal@____.com” or “lovetosue@____.com,” but I still see that type of email enough that I wanted to remind you of that. More common is that people have email addresses that seem fine at first glance but might seem odd to an employer. Things like an email address from your undergrad 20 years ago, an email address with a last name that you no longer use, or using your work email are all very easy to fix by signing up for a new gmail that matches your name from your résumé, or your first initial and last name.
You also want to avoid signature blocks that aren’t consistent with your professional image, whether it’s a favorite quote or a photo of your cat. Just stop and think whether you’d want that information tattooed on your forehead during your interview. If so, great, go ahead. But if not, use a generic signature block (with appropriate capitalization, etc.) while you’re on the job market.
One final tip to put forth a consistent professional image: don’t use a work email account for any correspondence related to a job application. I’ve seen several times when people have submitted materials from a work email account, which suggests either that they’ve been let go and given permission to look for new jobs from their current one, or that they are using employer time to look for a job. Neither is consistent with the professional image you want.
Many factors go into establishing and maintaining a consistent professional image. But if you’re searching for your next role, you’ll have a head start if you make sure your materials, social media profiles, and email addresses and signatures are consistent with the image you want to put forth.
If you’re searching for your next role, download our free resource, “5 1/2 Ways to Trash Proof Your Résumé.” This free tool walks you through simple steps to make sure your résumé is the best reflection of who you are.