It’s becoming more common than ever to check on someone’s social media presence before hiring them. That means if you’re looking for a job, the hiring manager may take a minute to look you up online.
Here are a few tips that can help you prepare your social media presence for your interview.
1. Have a Professional Social Media Presence
First and foremost, you need to have a professional social media presence. That means a presence where you’re all about business, not posting anything inappropriate and ensuring that you put across the most professional image of yourself.
2. Make It Difficult to Find Your Personal Social Media Presence
From here, you also want to disassociate your personal social media presence from your professional presence. Don’t use your real name on personal accounts, and definitely don’t link the two together in any way.
3. Put Your Professional Social Media Presence on Your Resume
You want to make it as easy as possible for a hiring manager to find your professional social media presence, which may mean putting it on your resume. That way, a hiring manager is less likely to just look you up online and potentially find something you’d rather stay hidden.
4. Choose a Good Photo for Your Professional Social Media Presence
A professional social media presence should have a profile picture that reflects you. That means a recent photo that’s clear, only shows you, and uses no face filters. Just snap a nice selfie next time you feel good about how you look.
5. Follow People in the Industry
Following other people in the industry can show that you’re plugged in and actually care about the industry you’re looking into. It can prove that you actually know about the industry, which makes you more of an attractive hire.
6. Use Your Account on a Regular Basis
You can’t just make an account and leave it to collect dust. A few times a week, remember to log into your professional accounts and make a few posts. This also shows potential managers that you care about having a public persona that’s professional and well-adjusted.
7. Clean Up Old Social Media Profiles From Around the Internet
Over the years of using the internet, you may have left some social media accounts open that are easy to find and also include some embarrassing content. Take some time to look around and see whether you can find and deactivate these old social media presences.
Conclusion
Social media is a great tool for getting to know people and learning more about the world, but it’s also a good tool for networking and finding a job. In the modern era, more hiring managers than ever before are starting to look people up online when they’ve narrowed down the pool to a couple of potential candidates. If you want to make sure your social media presence boosts you to the front of the list, these tips can definitely help.
