Fundamentals of Interpersonal Communication
Since its dawn, social media has swiftly amassed public interest. One of the reasons it has continually gained popularity is its ability to hold the entire world together. In this way, it has made information easily accessible to all users. With more than a half of the global populace on social media, it is quite unwise to remain outside of this mighty world. Research reveals that employers are increasingly turning to social media to hunt for potential employees. This implies that there is need for those seeking employment or considering advancing their career to have professional profiles.
The article How Social Media can Help (or Hurt) you in your Job Search reveals that employers are increasingly becoming keen on the profiles of job seekers. According to research, two out of five companies evaluate the effectiveness of potential employees using their profiles (Smith). Companies are more likely to dismiss people with unprofessional profiles. Of the many reasons given relating to why employers favor certain jobseekers over others on social media, that of having a professional image stood tall. Professional images, as documented in the article, denote creativity, good communication skills, and knowledge. The article concludes by encouraging job seekers to focus on building strong online images.
The article “Constructing the Self through the Photo Selection – Visual Impression Management on Social Networking Websites” likewise reveals the importance of having a professional image. The bottom line of the article is that images are a reflection of personality. Put simple, good images denote professional characters and vice versa. Research carried out by Lukas discloses that images largely influence the impression people have on others. Dull photos are likely to receive less or no attention. His research further reveals that online photos attract different impressions in the social world. For example, he notes that girls are keen on photo appearance than boys (Lukas). His concluding remark is that it is important to pay great emphasis on online photos.
The article 12 Ways to make your Online Profile Work for you offers important tips of how to build a professional profile. DesMarais states that there is a great correlation between smart-looking online photos and employment. Earning the attention of employers is more than just words. Images play a great part in revealing the personalities of individuals. DesMarais reveals that employers are likely to hire individuals with perfect online profiles. She states that a good online profile ought to be all-rounded (DesMarais). Apart from having personal information, it should have smartly developed backgrounds. Achieving such status is not hard in consideration of the fact that all tools are available within the selected social channel. DesMarais concludes by exhorting people to utilize the power of different social media channels to gain a competitive advantage.
These three articles focus on one message. They sponsor the notion that online images are highly influential. In other words, they argue that online photos are a depiction of personality. That by looking at the photo of an individual, one is most likely to tell the character of that individual. For job seekers as well as those considering advancing their careers, the message resonating from the articles is that they have no other choice other to build professional profiles.
Given more attention in the articles is the need for individuals to understand their environments. What matters most in the commerce sphere could be sharply different from the youthful world. The just stated introduces the idea of blending the demands of different worlds in one single profile. The articles support the notion that regardless of which sphere one belongs, having professional images is an important requisite.
Common among the articles is the idea that individuals need to be conscious about what they post or comment. Unethical comments drive away attention and vice versa. Besides, comments disclose the characters of individuals, an aspect that may work to their advantage or loss. For example, DesMarais reveals that employers will sideline unethical online profiles.
The three pieces differ mainly on their scope of research. In particular, the “Constructing the Self through the Photo Selection – Visual Impression Management on Social Networking Websites” deviates from the two by broadly looking at the matter of online images in respect to genders. It discloses that images have different impacts on both genders. To females, good looks are a central aspect while to males self-introduction is a key component.
The three pieces likewise differ regarding the tips they provide for improving online profiles. Of the three, 12 Ways to make your Online Profile Work for you provides an in-depth analysis of developing better online profiles. Although the remaining two are informative, the information they provide is insufficient to aid the public.
In conclusion, there is a strong association between online profiles and character, the very reason why employers are turning to scan profiles of potential employees. Developing striking profiles is not a humongous task in view of the fact that social channels have all tools needed to design any profile. In summing up, creating smart-looking profiles is sign of competence and knowledge.
Works Cited
DesMarais, Christina. “12 Ways to Make your Online Profile Work for You.” PCWorld, 01 March 2012. Web. 15 October 2013. http://www.pcworld.com/article/250858/12_ways_to_make_your_online_profile_work_for_you.html
Siibak, Andra. “Constructing the Self through the Photo Selection – Visual Impression Management on Social Networking Websites.” Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace.3.1 (2009). Web. 7 October 2012. http://www.cyberpsychology.eu/view.php?cisloclanku=2009061501&article=1
Smith, Jacquelyn. “How Social Media can Help (or Hurt) You in your Job Search.” Forbes, 16 April 2013. Web. 15 October 2013. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/04/16/how-social-media-can-help-or-hurt-your-job-search/.