7 Ways To Make Your Social Media Look Good To Employers
Social media is a fun way to express yourself and share your life with your friends – but it is also a good way for employers to judge your character. Here are seven ways to ensure your social media looks good to potential employers.
1. Delete Your Damaging Pictures
Sure, those photos of you lying face-down in the gutter after a particularly wild night out are hilarious to you and your friends, but what will your potential boss think of that? Delete any photos from your social media which make you look bad. You can always keep them on your phone or laptop and send them to your friends in a private message.
2. Remove Old Statuses
If you have had your social media account for a long time, chances are you have changed a lot since it was created. Take some time to sit down and review your old statuses from years ago and delete any which do not paint you in a good light – especially if they are anything to do with politics or social justice issues which you have since changed your stance on.
3. Lockdown Your Account
One of the best ways to protest your social media from the prying eyes of employers is to simply lock it down. Raise the privacy settings to their most severe and prevent your content from being seen by anyone you do not approve personally. This will allow you to continue to post whatever you want without it making you look bad. Just make sure you trust all your online friends. You do not want a colleague you thought was your pal to rat you out to your boss when you post about work.
4. Create A Second Account
This is another great way to hide your true identity from employers. Creating a public account will allow you to maintain a professional identity which will make you look good to potential employers. The trick here is to ensure your original account is totally private and that your drunken party photos never make it to the public account. This public persona should only post about things relating to the field you work in, maybe with some nice dog photos thrown in for good measure.
5. Upload Wholesome Photos
If you do want your account to be public, this is a good way to make it presentable. Upload some photos which reflect the best parts of you. Have you travelled to other countries? Done charity work? Do you take a lot of selfies with your elderly grandma? Post the photos! This makes you look cultured and dedicated to your family and your community.
6. Keep Your Work History Up To Date
Obviously, LinkedIn is the social media site to use if you want to talk about your employment history, but it is good to keep it up to date on your other accounts too. This shows employers that you are proud of where you have worked and want to share it with your friends. It also suggests that you do not post damaging comments about your workplaces, as you cannot do that when your account boasts that you work there.
7. Remove Yourself From Strange Groups
You probably have hundreds of random Facebook groups you joined a decade ago which have since become inactive, but they still show up on your profile. Some of these groups may not be entirely politically correct, especially not ten years on. Make sure you remove yourself from these groups and only keep the ones that reflect well on you.
