Clean Up Your Social Media for Future Employers

Clean Up Your Social Media for Future Employers Clean  Up  Your  Social Media for  Future  Employers   While  conducting your job search, it is imperative to set yourself up for success. Just as you want to know all that you can about your potential new employers, they are also  eager to learn about who you are.  One way for them to find out more about you is  your public social media accounts.     A 2018 survey done by  CareerBuilder, showed that 70%  of employers screen job candidates through their social media, while 43%  of employers use social media to check out current employees.  I collaborated with Norton LifeLock  to compile  some tips and tricks on where to look, what to change, and how to improve your professional social media presence.     Start  with Google       Googling yourself is important as it will most likely be the first thing employers do once they know your full name, gender  and age. If you think you have a  private identity  online, think again. As you scroll through page one of Google, see what social media accounts appear under your name and what other information is listed underneath.     For example, if your Twitter name is @jerrylovesbeer  that will show up next to Twitter. If your Facebook  page  is public  your  profile will also show up on page one as well as Instagram and so on. We recommend changing  your usernames if they are anything  other than your name. While being fun and funny is  okay,  it is important to ensure that  you are being painted in a good light.     Scrub Your Social Media     While scanning through your social media, be on the hunt for content that might be related to drugs, alcohol, politics, religion,  or anything  disrespectful  or degrading. Employers will be looking for how you interact with others, how you portray yourself, and what kinds of things are a main focus in your life. If your Instagram is public, go through your pictures and captions to make sure nothing is offensive,  risqué, or inappropriate. Delete anything you wouldn’t want them,  or your grandmother,  to see.     Be sure to review your LinkedIn posts, Facebook posts, Twitter tweets,  and Instagram photos.     If you want to keep your pictures but make them hidden from the public, Instagram has an  archive feature  that allows you to do just that. Make sure to screen comments as well. If your friends are writing swear words or telling stories about you in the comments, it may be  important to shut those down, since they can be seen by other people.     Update Yourself Online     When you start the job  search, it is  essential that your  online  personal information matches what your future employer knows about you.  Of course, not everything has to be disclosed, but the basic information should always be the same.     Update your  LinkedIn profile  accordingly to make sure your page mirrors your  résumé  without any alarming questions. Keep your primary email public and always have an appropriate profile photo. If you use other social media accounts as job hunting tools, take the time to curate your profile to accurately represent you and what you are looking for in the professional world.     In summary, the same CareerBuilder survey referenced above also found that  54% of employers found content on social media that caused them not to hire a candidate. With the number of employers and  recruiters actively using social media as a tool to screen candidates increasing, its important to educate  everyone conducting job searches todayâ€"from  college students  just entering the job force  to  executives  changing jobs or careersâ€"about  the importance of protecting and cleaning up their digital presence.?   Join Dana Manciagli’s  Job Search Master Class ®  now  and get the most comprehensive  online  job search system available!