Tips for nurses and HCAs to make themselves more employable online

Recruitment has changed vastly over the past 15 years, those looking for work used to hand out CVs in the hope they’d hear something back, where as most people in 2016 don’t even need to leave the house to apply for roles with the emergence of social media recruitment and job boards. This is why looking employable online is incredibly important, especially when working in the healthcare industry. You need to bear in mind employers can, and will, look you up online, so you need to remember this before posting boozey pictures of your last night out. .

If you’re unsure how your profile looks to potential employers, we’ve jotted down some handy tips for would be nurses and healthcare assistants to keep your online presence in tip-top, employable form.

• Your profile picture is important

Every social media platform you sign up to will ask you to upload a profile photo, this way people that come across  you online are able to see what you look like. This will often be the first point of contact for many employers looking at your profile, so it’s vital to ensure it conveys the right message. If an employer is looking for a nurse, an unprofessional photo might lead to them to think twice - especially if there’s another candidate they have their eye on. . Try to stay away from photos of you on nights out, or photos that may be inappropriate or offensive.

• Typing errors and spelling mistakes

Employers sift through hundreds of CVs on a weekly basis, so they have a keen eye for any mistakes you might have made. Whenever you are writing out a CV or job application, proof read it yourself and also get a close friend to read through it. It’s a small task that can make a big difference in the long run. The same goes for your LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter profile, ensure they are grammatically sound before updating them. The extra attention to detail will show you are serious about finding employment.

• Setup privacy setting on private pages

All social media accounts these days have very thorough privacy settings, allowing you to limit who sees what if they find you online. When privacy settings are set to high, this ensures that anyone viewing your profile can’t see anything more than your profile photo. It only takes a few seconds for a potential recruiter to find your Facebook page, and it can take only a few more seconds for them to look through all your information, status updates and photos to find that embarrassing image you’d perhaps forgotten about and has now cost you a job. . You’re better off just stopping this situation from ever happening by privatising any pages you don’t want to be seen.

• Share and like relevant content

We all like to share content on our social media pages, it’s the best way to show your friends the trending cat video that makes everyone laugh. Your social media accounts can also be used to share relevant healthcare news. Any potential recruiter that finds your page will be impressed by your knowledge and passion of the healthcare industry, increasing the chances of being recruited.

• Find the right platform for your industry

Every social media platform has its strengths and weaknesses, each one works differently depending on the industry. As a potential nurse of healthcare worker, you need to find out what social media platform is most commonly used to recruit candidates in your field. This will maximise your recruitment potential and increase the chances of finding employment.

So there you go, a few tips to help you increase your chances of employment in the healthcare industry. Once you do find yourself a role, please feel free to read our guide to social media for healthcare workers. Are there any tips you think we’ve missed? Please feel free to let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page.