Application tips

Profile picture

• Profile picture

• When selecting a profile picture, make sure you use an up-to-date photo in which you are clearly recognisable.
• You should avoid photos that show you drunk, wearing little clothing, or in a condition that will not help your application.

Photo albums/Photo links

• Photo albums/Photo links

• Carefully selected pictures that show you in a positive light can be particularly helpful to you during the job application process. You should display pictures that show your engagement in certain areas – such as those taken at conferences, or charity events.
• Pictures that show you consuming alcohol or drugs should be avoided. Whilst party-photos, naked/partially naked photos, or other photos of this nature may be funny to your friends, they should not be seen by potential employers.
• TIP: By going to My Photos you can adjust who can see each of your photo albums, (everyone / my friends / just me). You can do this independently for meinVZ and studiVZ. By going to Privacy you can also change your settings so that photo links to you will not appear unless you have approved them.

Groups

• Groups

• Your membership of groups that reveal more about your activities and interests should be displayed.
• You should restrict the visibility of your membership of groups that may create a false impression of you.

  These include:

  • Group names that some bosses may not see the funny side of (e.g. “I should be working but instead … “)
  • Groups that glorify alcohol or drugs (e.g. “We only drink during the day…!“)
  • Groups of a sexual nature (e.g. “Exchange naked pictures here“)
  • Groups for high-risk extreme sports (e.g. “Basejumping – Ultimate Adrenaline Rush“)
  • Comedy groups that could be misinterpreted (e.g. „How to enjoy a funeral“)
• TIP: You can adjust the visibility of your groups by going to privacy » groups. Please remember that potential work colleagues may also be members of groups you’re in, meaning your membership of these groups will always be visible to them (even if you change your settings). For this reason, we advise you leave all groups of this nature whilst you are in the process of applying for a job.

Friends

• Friends

• You should avoid friendships with fake profiles, such as “Pamela Anderson” or “Tom Cruise”.

Employment

• Employment

• A complete, well filled out “Employment” section that lists your past and current positions speaks volumes for you. Here you can display your working history in a positive light and show your strengths and experience.
• Company names that are linked allow you to find current and former work colleagues, and also means that they can find you. This helps strengthen the network and can be useful in the application process.
• Headhunters and other employers also look through our network. If your profile is appealing to them you may find that, every now and then, you get an interesting offer.
• Information that may put off a potential employer:
  • Negative comments about a current or previous job
  • False claims about job responsibilities and the positions you have held – your colleagues may also look through meinVZ and be annoyed by this.

General Information

• Last but not least:

• If the visibility of your profile is completely restricted it creates the impression that you have something to hide. A strong, informative, and busy profile will give you more credibility with employers than a profile that is restricted or cannot be found. You can select the bits of your information that are visible on your limited profile under “What is visible in my limited profile?“ in Privacy.
• Your CV should always be consistent with the information on your profile.
• Check the photos that you have been linked to, and your notice board, on a regular basis. If you think something could be misinterpreted, delete it.
• Make sure that your profile is up-to-date, particularly when you are applying for new jobs.