In the digital age, a Curriculum Vitae (CV) is no longer confined to a paper or PDF sent to recruiters; it is constantly present online. Every post, every tagged photo, and every online comment contributes to your digital footprint, which employers are increasingly interested in before making interview decisions. Therefore, “digital professionalism” has gradually become a skill that should be cultivated as early as university.
What is digital professionalism?
A comprehensive digital capability framework consisting of six key domains
(Source: peopledevelopment.leeds.ac.uk)
“Digital professionalism” (or “e-professionalism”), basically, is the way you express your professionalism in the digital environment (Cain and Romanelli, 2009). Ellaway et al. (2015) proposed an analytical framework for “digital professionalism” based on three core concepts as follows:
- Proficiency: How effectively do you use digital tools?
- Reputation: How do others perceive you in the digital environment?
- Responsibility: Are you conscious of what you share and leave behind?
How does a digital footprint affect recruitment?
Today’s employers not only assess professional competence through degrees or work experience but also consider candidates’ attitudes, personal values, and public behavior through online channels. According to a 2023 survey by ResumeBuilder, 73% of employers use social media to evaluate candidates, primarily to confirm cultural fit and verify information on CVs. Notably, 85% stated they have rejected a candidate based on information they found on social media (ResumeBuilder, 2023). Common factors that decrease favorability include: posting ethically inappropriate images or videos, information about substance use, racist, sexist, or religiously discriminatory comments, speaking ill of former colleagues or companies, etc.
Besides LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram are popular social media platforms used by recruiters to evaluate candidates. (Source: ResumeBuilder)
But why does your presence on social media influence how employers evaluate candidates?
The presence on social media provides a holistic view of the individual that goes far beyond what a CV or in-person interview can reveal. Employers often view social media as a free, easily accessible source of information to assess personality, personal values, professionalism, and potential risks, thereby:
- Determining cultural fit: Employers want to know if a candidate aligns with the company’s values and culture. They look for signs of attitude, communication style, interests, and social behavior. For instance, positive content, such as volunteering activities or sharing professional insights, can help a candidate stand out.
- Verifying information and detecting inconsistencies: They check if social media profiles match the CV (e.g., work experience, skills).
- Identifying “red flags”: This is the most common reason candidates are rejected. Negative content that often leads to rejection includes: illegal behavior, discrimination, unprofessional complaints about former companies, or leakage of confidential information from a previous workplace.
Entertainment social media VS. Professional LinkedIn: What is the difference?
One of the core requirements of “digital professionalism” is the ability to distinguish and operate effectively in two different online spaces: entertainment, social media, and professional platforms. According to research by Ellaway et al. (2015), the widespread use of digital media has blurred the lines between personal and professional life. It could be said that today’s students are the last generation to remember the time before the Internet became widespread and will be the first to work in a largely digitized environment. This demands a deep awareness of how to use diverse social media platforms.
Entertainment social media like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok focus on personal life, emotional content, and private opinions, characterized by short-term engagement and rapid interaction. In contrast, LinkedIn is a dedicated space for professional competence and career orientation, where users share knowledge, projects, achievements, and demonstrate a long-term learning mindset.
There is a clear distinction between personal identity on Facebook and professional identity on LinkedIn in managing digital footprints
(Source: sync.com)
“Digital professionalism” requires us to be acutely aware of the boundary between these two spaces. A lack of awareness about the role of social media can lead to violations of online norms concerning one’s professional image. Therefore, you need to proactively:
- Control privacy settings
- Review and “clean up” old and inappropriate contents
- Be aware that everything you post can be evaluated
More importantly, leverage social media as a career tool by sharing positive content, participating in professional groups, and demonstrating interest in your field of expertise.
The role of UEH CEN in shaping digital professional standards
In the digital world, UEH CEN, the official LinkedIn channel of the Department of Student Affairs (DSA) at the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, was established as a strategic bridge within the UEH career ecosystem. With the mission of connecting students to the professional world in a structured, official, and sustainable way within digital environments, UEH CEN plays an important role in:
- Providing official information about career opportunities, internships, and professional development
- Guiding students in building professional profiles and engaging effectively on LinkedIn
- Creating a networking environment that connects students, freshers, businesses, and the university within a comprehensive career ecosystem
Through activities that focus on knowledge sharing, networking, and career orientation, UEH CEN contributes to shaping digital professionalism standards within the UEH student community, helping students better understand the importance of their digital presence and how to build a sustainable personal brand.
Core competencies that help fresh graduates attract recruiters’ attention beyond academic degrees. (Source: LinkedIn UEH Career Ecosystem Network)
In an era of global integration and digitalized recruitment, online presence has become a student’s “digital identity”, one that accompanies the traditional CV and may ultimately determine career opportunities. Digital professionalism is not merely a technical skill in using technology; it represents professional awareness and personal responsibility in a time when every digital action leaves a lasting trace. Building a professional online presence is, therefore, an investment in the future, one that every student should begin today.
News, images: Department of Student Affairs (DSA)
References
Cain, J., & Romanelli, F. (2009). E-professionalism: A new paradigm for a digital age. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 1(2), 66–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2009.10.001
Ellaway, R. H., Coral, J., Topps, D., & Topps, M. (2015). Exploring digital professionalism. Medical Teacher, 37(9), 844–849. https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2015.1044956
ResumeBuilder.com. (2023, June 12). 7 in 10 hiring managers admit to spying on social media to get answers to illegal interview questions. https://www.resumebuilder.com/7-in-10-hiring-managers-admit-to-spying-on-social-media-to-get-answers-to-illegal-interview-questions/