Social media is a widely popular tool for employees and job seekers to post about professional accomplishments, accreditations and even volunteer activities. Unfortunately, an outdated social media account could cost you an interview or hinder your chances of getting a job.
Are your social media channels outdated? If so, it’s a good idea to clean them up for your job search and for your professional career in general. Check out these tips to create professional social media channels and how to keep them that way.
Hit ‘Delete’
Cleaning up your social media accounts is always a good idea at any stage of your career. Simply go through the channels you use, or have used, to make sure you’re okay with what people can learn about you on these platforms. Clean out any old photos, posts or comments that could potentially harm your image.
Having pink hair when you were sixteen may be forgivable, but profanity-riddled or drug-referenced comments are not. Maybe even ask your friends or family to skim through your profiles. A fresh set of eyes can bring other perspectives to light.
If you were once, but are no longer, active on social media it wouldn’t hurt to delete your old accounts entirely. Those old accounts can still be found online. If you’re not using them anymore, and have no intention of going back to that old account, delete it to remove any association with it.
Keep It Positive
Employers are seeking engaging team-players to join their organization. Any negative post you’ve shared could highlight that you aren’t the best fit for a role or promotion. These posts are great examples of what should be deleted. Keep this in mind when posting on social media in the future as well. We all want to read positive information, so make sure that’s part of your personal pages.
A topic that often has a negative connotation on social media are political posts. While it’s important to express our interests and beliefs, simply remember to keep it positive. There are ways to express ourselves without using a negative tone.
Highlight Your Accomplishments
It’s okay to show off on social media. Certain platforms, like LinkedIn, were created so that you could do just that! Be intentional with how you’re sharing your awards or recognitions with your followers. This could be a great way to stand out amongst the competition for an open position.
A little bit of humility also goes a long way. Showcasing an achievement is an opportunity to show how hard working and resourceful you are, not an opportunity to tear anyone down. Keep it positive and light, but also take the opportunity to shine. Showcasing any volunteer activities or community involvement is another great way to show more of your personality.
Grammar Matters
Just like punctuation matters in your resume and cover letter, it also matters on your social media pages. Before you post anything online, make sure everything is spelled correctly and that you’re using correct grammar. Recruiters and employers pay attention to this, and your grammar can leave an impression of you that might not be true to who you really are.
When cleaning up your social media pages, you might see punctuation errors that you made in the past. Instead of deleting the post entirely, you can simply edit the post with proper grammar. If it’s a good post, don’t feel the need to delete! A simple edit might do the trick.
As a rule of thumb, if you’re not sure that something is appropriate for social media, or you’re uncertain of how people will perceive it, don’t post it. Use good judgement and don’t post anything your grandmother wouldn’t mind reading about you. Your social media presence can give employers or recruiters a sense of who you are before meeting you, so make sure it’s an accurate representation.
If you are interested in working with us, you can apply through Glassdoor or on our website. Learn more about open positions and life at LvHJ on our careers page at https://lvhj.com/career-opportunities/.