A recent survey revealed that 70% of employers utilise social networking sites to investigate job candidates, and among them, 57% have discovered content that led them to decide against hiring certain applicants.
Whether you’re an avid poster or keep low-key, Guy Thornton, Founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, has compiled a list of pointers you should use to ensure your digital footprint won’t become detrimental to your job hunt.
1. Review and clean up your profiles
Go through any social media platforms you are on and delete any posts, photos or comments that may be seen as unprofessional, offensive or controversial. As you go through and vet your socials, remember to also look at your tagged photos and untag yourself or ask the user to delete any that do not reflect well on you.
2. Adjust your privacy settings
Adjusting your privacy settings so that only friends or connections can see your posts and personal information means you reduce the risk of employers looking at your profiles before or after a job interview.
Consider making some profiles, like LinkedIn, completely public and professional, while keeping others, like Facebook or Instagram, more private and personal.
3. Present yourself professionally
Even if you do make your social media profiles private, employers can still judge your profile photos and bios. With this in mind, you should always use professional-looking profile pictures and avoid overly casual or inappropriate images.
Similarly, with your bio, ensure the other profile information is up-to-date and reflects your professional identity.
4. Monitor your digital footprint
Whether you are on the hunt for a job, looking for a promotion, or even just wanting to maintain a professional appearance, it’s important to monitor your online presence continuously.
Periodically search for your name online to see what potential employers might find, and if you find anything you wouldn’t want them to see, remove it promptly.
It’s also wise to update your bio and any other information according to your latest role, new skills and general career updates.
5. Separate personal and professional
If you’ve managed to secure your dream job, be mindful of giving out your private and more personal social media pages to other workplace professionals. Instead, create a platform with other like-minded career individuals on sites such as LinkedIn to avoid mixing business with pleasure. It’s better to separate your professional social media profiles from more personal ones, to avoid any crossover that may interfere with your corporate appearance.
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