As much as you think your social media profiles are unrelated to work, the reality is that hiring managers will see them. According to CareerBuilder, 70% of employers screen candidates’ social media profiles before hiring. But that’s not all. With social media so prevalent in our lives, it’s becoming more common for employers to recruit and hire through social media.
What image do you want to project? Cleaning up your online image isn’t about changing who you are. Instead, it’s about being mindful of the content you post and who you share it with. It’s helpful to think of your social media as a second resume.
This article will discuss 9 tips to help you tidy up your social media.
9 Tips to Clean up your online image
- Google yourself
- Edit your handles and URLs
- Deactivate old accounts
- Add a polished profile photo
- Private your accounts
- Archive questionable content
- Audit your follows
- Share industry-related content
- Follow those who inspire you
- Google yourself
To begin your social media clean-up, start by Googling yourself. You might be surprised by what you find. This first step allows you to step into the hiring manager’s shoes and view your online image from their perspective.
- Edit your handles and URLs
This is one of the quickest and easiest steps to take. If you haven’t already, create a custom URL or username handle. You can customize your URL on sites like LinkedIn, preferably using your name. If you’re job searching online, it will be easier for recruiters to find you and make you appear more professional.
- Deactivate old accounts
If you still have some old accounts floating around from when you were a teen or young adult that you aren’t too fond of, you probably don’t want your potential boss seeing them either.
- Add a polished profile photo
You don’t need to go out and get a professional headshot taken, but use photos for your profile and cover photos are professional looking. Your photo is the first thing employers will see, so you want to make an excellent first impression.
- Private your accounts
If you don’t want to censor your profiles, set them to private. This way, only your followers or approved users will see your content.
- Archive questionable content
If there are any photos or posts that might not present the best version of you or represent a former version of yourself, consider removing them from your profile. This doesn’t mean you have to delete this content entirely. Platforms like Instagram have an archive function, so rather than entirely deleting this content, you can look back on it privately. If you wouldn’t want your grandma to see it, you probably don’t want your hiring manager to either.
- Audit your follows
Perform a quick check of your follows and remove any questionable or concerning accounts you might be following. If you’re a long-time social media user, you’re probably accumulated a large following count.
- Share industry-related content
Whether it’s a quote, article, or video, post industry-related content to show you stay up to date on industry news. Ideally, this will make you more likely to be considered for a position. This will also help hiring managers recognize you as someone that aligns with their values and mission.
- Follow those who inspire you
Who we follow reflects us, so follow blogs, industry leaders or companies you aspire to be like or admire. This will give hiring managers a taste of what you’re passionate about and a sense of who you are.
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