Using Social Media Skills In A Face-To-Face Interview

Could all those hours spent scrolling through the Fluffington Post’s cutesy cat videos, LIKING schoolmates’ holiday snaps, sharing funny footie memes and re-tweeting Ed Balls’ first Twitter message really help you get a job?

Well, not if you go about it literally.

The LIKE

No employer is going to be impressed if, sitting opposite them in an interview, you ceremoniously raise your thumb and state “LIKE” every time they say something interesting, or refer to you by name.

However, if you listen attentively and respond positively to the interview questions, showing passion when relating your experience to the role you are applying for, there is a good chance that you will build a rapport with the hiring manager.

Remember that 93% of communication is nonverbal, so it’s important to SHOW that you like the role being offered. Just don’t shout it!

The RE-TWEET

Another sure-fire way to anger your interviewer is to wait until they say something you feel is particularly important or funny, memorise that line, then start walking around the building bellowing the recruiter’s wisdom to anybody that will listen.

Not only is this rude, on too many accounts to mention, it will also earn you the dreaded reputation as a ‘copycat.’

A much better way to show that you appreciate and agree with your interviewer’s point-of-view is to distill the essence of their statement and put it into the context of your career to date, or relate it to a skill of yours, maybe even a hobby.

For example: if the hiring manager says that teamwork is the key to a successful working environment, you could mention that you have previously teamed up with colleagues to work through specific problems, or that you have years of experience with a local sports team. This will show that you understand their point much more effectively than simply repeating what they say.

The EMOJI

On social media it is commonplace to communicate through the ever-evolving language of emojis. Sometimes these cartoon images are used exclusively to convey a message or a feeling.

For instance: 🙋🏻📚❤️✏️😃

Translates as: “How I learned to love writing with emojis.”

During an interview, however, it would be ludicrous to attempt to answer a question with a riddled sequence of exaggerated facial expressions, animal impressions and interpretive dances. You would almost definitely be told to leave the building, and quite possibly advised to stop watching so many Jim Carrey movies.

As previously indicated, communication is only 7% verbal. But take that 7% away and you’re left with nothing more than an unsolicited experimental theatre piece. The correct way to create an emotional connection with your hiring manager is to show enthusiasm and match their body language. Utilise the 93%, don’t abuse it!

The HASHTAG

Reciting popular phrases like #YOLO, #Authentic or #SorryNotSorry at any point during an interview session is liable to ruin your chances of landing the job. It’s inappropriate, unoriginal and may even prompt your interviewer to look for the ‘OFF’ switch on your back (robots are getting mightily realistic these days). #JUST #DON’T.

However, the concept of hashtags (to simplify a message and signify meaning) could be used to highlight your most desirable skills and capabilities. Before the interview you could list relevant traits and abilities and condense them into sound bites. These sound bites could then be used throughout the conversation to hammer home your most useful experiences and relevant skills for the job.

The POKE

Without doubt the creepiest and most useless thing you can do on social media is ‘POKE’ somebody on Facebook. Somewhere between primary school flirting and cyber sexual harassment, the weird feature remains part of the Facebook experience – even though it is seldom used anymore.

In order to do the POKE justice you would have to stealthily follow your hiring manager about before and after the interview.

In a supermarket, two days prior to the interview, you could silently slip out behind them in the frozen aisle, poke them in the back, then swiftly retreat into a freezer filled with microwaveable doner kebabs and 25% pork sausages.

In a restaurant, on the evening after the meeting, you could haul yourself across the floor like an awkward komodo dragon, poke your interviewer in the ankle, then dive under the table and hide there unannounced until they collect the bill at the end of the meal.

Obviously these are terrible ideas. When it comes to the POKE, in real life as on Facebook, it should be avoided at all costs.

Find a JOB TODAY

Now you know how to use your hard-earned social media skills in real life it’s time to secure an interview to practice them.

Download the JOB TODAY app and browse for jobs in your area. With a decent profile and the right experience you’ll be shortlisted for an interview in 🚫⏰ (no time).