How to Clean Up Your Online Reputation
Tonight is the biggest party of the year and you want to document every minute of it. You want to take thousands of pictures of what you’re wearing, who you’re with, what’s going on, etc. You want to post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, every social media site you can think of so you can tell the world about this epic night. In this moment you’re not thinking of the future, but I am, and I’m here to tell you to think again about posting that picture.
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Believe it or not, one day you’re going to graduate and get a job, but the thing is, you can be the perfect candidate for a job and still not get hired. How can this be, you ask? It just might have to do with your online reputation. Employers will look at your social media profiles, and will make assumptions about you based on it. So, if you want a job, I would think twice about posting that picture of you in your sexy maid Halloween costume.
Don’t fret though! Here are some tips for “scrubbing” your profiles in order to clean up your online reputation…so you can get that job.
Pictures
Delete any picture that don’t exactly show you in a good light. Companies aren’t going to a hire a person who they think is a party girl, so delete the incriminating evidence. Delete the pictures will the red solo cups and say goodbye to that adorable picture of you in your cute toga outfit. Basically delete any picture that your church-going grandma wouldn’t approve of.
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Tags
Untag yourself from bad photographs. So this goes along with the first tip – if you are tagged in any photos that don’t make you look like the type of girl that a boy can bring home to meet his parents, UNTAG YOURSELF! You don’t want to be put in that light.
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Posts
Delete inappropriate and unbecoming posts. If you have any posts where you mention being drunk, or high, or that block party that the cops were called to; delete them. For the exact same reason you don’t want bad pictures, bad posts make you seem like nothing more than a girl who had too much fun in college.
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Timeline
Block or delete the friend that constantly posts stupid stuff to your wall. This doesn’t just have to be the friend who posts stuff about parties, alcohol, or drugs on your wall (which, please block this person, too), but it can also be the person who posts hundreds of Disney pictures to your wall. This makes you look like a child. A few childhood references are fine, but overdoing it can make you seem immature.
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Profile picture
Make your profile picture classy. Have a nice picture that says you’re a professional, mature and elegant. Unfortunately, first impressions mean a lot, and your profile picture will often be a potential employer’s first impression.
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In general, use common sense when you post, and ask yourself if this what you want to be remembered for. Remember these tips for keeping a clean online reputation, and you will be on the yellow brick road to getting that job.
Featured image source: usnews.com and talentculture.com
Taylor is a student at Colorado State University studying health and exercise science. She loves hockey, is a die-hard Avs fan, and enjoys hiking and the outdoors.