Here at Virtual Done Well, we like to look for new members of our family on social media.
That means we advertise virtual assistant positions on social media, and we consider candidates’ social media profiles when hiring. This practice is far from unique to VDW though.
Indeed, if you’re hoping to get hired as a virtual assistant you can bet that other companies like ours (and even potential clients performing their own VA searches) will pay close attention to your profiles on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
We’ve seen a lot of virtual assistants’ social media profiles, and we know what separates the great from the good, the average, and the ones that make us go Eeeeww! So we’d like to offer a few tips for building a social media profile that will get you hired fast.
Note: Check out Professional-looking profiles in LinkedIn to have an idea
Use the English Language… Impeccably
English may not be your first language, but it will probably be the only language used by companies or business-owners seeking a virtual assistant. If you can craft your social media profiles using error-free written English, you’ll give yourself an immediate leg-up in the employability race.
The good news here is that even among native English-speakers, grammar and writing quality varies greatly.
That’s why it’s so advantageous to make sure yours is impeccable. Remember, potential clients are typically looking for someone who can communicate on their behalf—perhaps publicly as well as through person-to-person channels.
If your social media profiles are free from spelling and grammatical errors, they’ll sell you well to potential clients or employers. It may even be worth paying somebody to edit your profile content and make sure it spells out your value in word-perfect English.
Showcase Your Skills, Not Your Life History
Whichever social media network you use, you should optimize your “professional” profile to showcase the skills, experience, and achievements that make you a great candidate to be a VA. Try not to fill your profile with details of your personal life unless for some reason they enhance your image as a professional virtual assistant.
One of the most common mistakes job-seekers make with social media profiles is to mix up what’s personally and professionally important.
This is not so much of an issue on Linkedin, because it’s a professionally oriented social network. At VDW though, we also seek new virtual assistants on Facebook—as does an increasing number of business owners seeking professional service-providers.
Consider a New Facebook Account and Profile
Because Facebook supports both personal and professional networking, it’s important to try and make sure your profile emphasizes your professional abilities. This will make it more appealing to potential clients or employers.
We recommend that you create a brand new professional profile on Facebook, separate from your personal one if you’re serious about using this platform for seeking work.
Ideally, your professional account should be opened with the email address you normally use for business communications. Otherwise, simply create a new email account and use that to set up your professional Facebook profile.
Mind the Gaps
When you’re creating a social media profile for your day-to-day networking with friends and family, you really have the freedom to include as much or as little detail as you like. That all changes though, if you want your profile to sell your skills and abilities as a virtual assistant.
As long as the information you provide is relevant to your search for work, you really can’t include too much detail.
While your life story isn’t necessary, you should consider your social media profile as a fully detailed substitute for your resume—and you probably know already that a resume with gaps is a handicap, right?
Make sure your profiles are all fully completed, that your most relevant skills and capabilities are documented and that your personal and contact details are present and correct. Remember too that a gapless profile won’t remain that way if you don’t update it regularly.
And Finally… Add a Professional-looking Photo
Don’t worry, we’re not actually judging you on your physical appearance, but employers like us (and our clients) do take notice of the way you portray yourself as a professional. You see, before hiring you, people like to see how you like to be seen—because that says a lot about your professional attitude.
We hope these hints have helped you understand what’s required to build a social media profile that really appeals to employers and business clients.
We’ll share some more tips on this topic in the future, but for now, why not review your existing social media profiles using this post as a guide? You might see some areas that can be improved upon. If you address them today, you can boost your professional image as a “must-hire” VA.
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