Just like your resume and your attire in an interview, alongside your interview answers and questions, your online presence is yet another way for a hiring manager to determine if you are the suitable fit for their position.
Though social media is typically a portrayal of you, your interests and the activities you enjoy, it’s a good idea to monitor what you post and share during the job hunting processing to ensure your profiles paint you in the best light possible.
Here are a few ideas of things to do when considering a bit of a social media review:
Update your LinkedIn profile
In editing your resumes to suit a job posting, you’ve probably added new roles and responsibilities or refined the wording from previous roles. LinkedIn, in essence, is the online version of your resume — and it needs a little refresh, too.
Go back through your LinkedIn profile and update positions to reflect similar wording on your printed resume. Add in any new tasks for roles, or entirely new roles overall. The same goes for education, skills, certificates, etc.
Deactivate old social media accounts
Chances are, there are a few profiles floating around that you created years ago and no longer use. Now is a great time to get those deleted for good.
Update your outdated profile information
Similarly, there is probably some outdated information on the social media accounts you do use. For instance, take a look through your liked pages or the hobbies you’ve listed on Facebook. Are they still reflective of you, and things you want everyone to see? If not, do some editing.
Make your social media accounts private
For those platforms where you can make your account private, this is an opportunity to do so. It will keep your posts available only to those who already follow you, and ensure that employers see only the basics of an accounts existence — not the finer details.
revisit your profile pictures
Take a look at your social media accounts, and the primary photos on all of them. Is your profile picture something you are comfortable with a potential employer seeing? Does it present you well? The same questions go for your profile header photos.
Untag yourself in photos
We’ve all had it happen — a friend tags you in a funny photo, be that of yourself or of something else. That photo might not be one you want the whole world being able to attach your name to. So, untag yourself.
Edit your social media handles or profile links
Check the links associated with your accounts. Do the names you chose all those years ago still reflect you, and you are comfortable with employers seeing?
Where possible, and if you deem it necessary, change those to something more professional or appropriate.
Hide or delete controversial social media posts
This goes not only for general content, but anything you have posted about previous jobs.
If you’ve posted anything you read back on today that now seems controversial, or that would paint you in a negative light — it might be time to hide, if not delete, those posts.
~ written by Lucy Fox
We hope this little bit of advice helps you in your job search and application. If you would like to receive more interview tips as they’re written, please sign up for the monthly newsletter, feel free to bounce around the site in the Resume Tips category, or click here to learn more about the service.
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