It is impossible to avoid social media today. Job seekers should take extra precautions to ensure that their online presence doesn’t affect their ability to find and keep a job. In spite of some legal gray areas when it comes to checking social media before making hiring decisions, employers will still Google candidates. Don’t let them find something that could be detrimental for your career. Here are some things to watch out for and fix in your social media profiles:
- Google yourself.
Before you can fix anything, you need to know what is out there about you on the internet. If you use a Google account make sure you log all the way out (or use another computer) to enter your name into the search. If you have a Google account, it isn’t likely to show you what you really need to see. Look through the first two or three pages. If you see anything negative, you can take action. - Bury negative information.
There isn’t a good way to remove negative information from the internet, but you can bury it. Create new, positive content that will appear on the first two or three pages. It is extremely rare that someone would search past those results to see anything else. Create your own website with a blog and post information that positions yourself as an industry leader. - Change your privacy settings.
On social media, make sure you have your privacy settings. This is most important with Facebook as most people use that site for connecting to family and friends and often post very private information. Set the privacy settings so only your friends can see your timeline. This will prevent businesses from seeing anything you would prefer they didn’t. Go to settings in Facebook and click on the privacy tab to change this information. - Be cautious about what you post.
Someone once suggested an internet rule that you don’t post anything that you don’t want your mother to read. Think twice about the photos you share on Twitter. Never speak poorly about previous companies or co-workers. Keep your LinkedIn up-to-date and use that as your primary professional networking.
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