Clean Up Your Social Media

Such posts are never acceptable, but they do provide a cautionary reminder that your social media presence can come back to haunt you in the workplace. This is especially true when you are looking for work.
 
When applying for jobs in today’s market, one of the most overlooked steps is performing a social media cleanup. More than a decade’s worth of social media posts are documented in many people’s accounts, and employers will frequently take a deep dive before considering a candidate.

4 Ways to Ensure Your Online Presence Is Working for You—Not against You

1. Do the time warp. People change and grow over time. Just because you thought it was a great idea to post certain pictures 10 years ago, it doesn’t mean that you want potential employers to see them now. Ensure that all photos and posts are suitable for work. If you aren’t sure, hide it or delete it. The safest thing to do is to set your accounts to private. Of course, the person thinking of hiring you could consider this a negative. They make think, what are you hiding? 

Though it may sound intimidating, it’s important to pore over all your social media posts—and yes, this means from the moment that you opened your account until today. Remember: your social media presence should highlight who you are now and why you would make an ideal employee. 

2. Check the comments. The comments under your posts also need to be scoured. Again, if you question whether anything is offensive, it’s safest to remove it. Keep in mind that Twitter can be especially tricky—all your likes and shares are public, too. 

Give your friends a heads-up that you are in the process of searching for jobs. Ask that they take that into consideration when commenting on your posts or that they text you their thoughts instead.

3. To be safe, search. Never tried searching your name online? Now is the perfect opportunity. This simple step can help you catch pictures, posts, or other pieces of online info that you may not have known were out there. 

For example, you may not have been aware that someone tagged you in a photo that you wouldn’t want to share with your coworkers. In the very least, you might stumble across some memories! 

4. Update your LinkedIn profile. The information on your LinkedIn profile isn’t the only thing that needs to stay up to date. A current, professional photo will go a long way in putting your best face forward—literally. 

It’s best to think of your profile as an expansion of your résumé. Ensure that all sections are filled out, including skills, endorsements, and accomplishments. 

LinkedIn is also a great forum to share content and comment on articles relevant to the industry you work in. Employers will see that you are up on current trends and active in your industry. 

Sources: forbes.com, nationalpost.com, simcoe.com