In the past, you could show up for an interview with a printed CV and a sharp suit, confident in the knowledge that you appeared perfectly professional. Those days are long gone. When you work in the age of social media, your prospective employer may have already researched your social media profiles to determine who you are before you even walk into the room. Seventy percent of hiring managers admit to using social media to conduct background checks on potential candidate’s online reputation during the recruitment process.
In order to present yourself in a professional manner online, it is critical to think about how you appear to others. Listed below are five suggestions to assist you in creating and maintaining the best possible image of yourself online, thus avoiding the risk of alienating potential employers.
Photographs
Could your photographs have a negative impact on your employment prospects?
Unconsciously or not, we make snap judgments about every person and image we encounter – and the same is true of what we post on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The importance of this is particularly apparent when looking for work. As a result, selecting the right photograph to convey the right message is critical.
As a result, many recruiters use LinkedIn to find qualified candidates for their open positions, as it is frequently the most professional social media profile a person has created. To make an excellent first impression on hiring managers and recruiters, use a profile picture that is exclusively of you and was taken in a professional setting for your profile picture. Group photos of your family, friends, pets, or coworkers don’t convey the right message, and they should be avoided.
According to our expectations, other social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, are places where we would expect to see a person in a more relaxed setting. While this does not imply that you should post whatever picture you want, it is essential to remember that anyone can see your profile picture even with privacy settings turned on. That makes it a bad idea to use a funny but potentially “inappropriate” image in your profile.
The photos or images that you upload yourself should not be the only ones you should be concerned about. Other platform users may tag you in an image that you do not wish to be associated with, so keep this in mind when posting on the platform. To counteract this, you can “untag” yourself from a photo so that no one on your network will be able to see it. If the image is particularly embarrassing, you should consider asking the person to remove it from their computer.
Think Before You Post
Getting carried away and posting things on social media that we later come to regret is something we’ve all done at some point. Take a moment to consider how you would feel if your boss or clients found out what you were about to post before you make your comment or post it. Do not use foul language and refrain from making political or religious statements that may offend other people. Unintentional profanity on social media has been known to result in career disasters, such as the case of a future NASA intern who lost her internship after accidentally profanely addressing a high-ranking official on Twitter.
You should not be critical of your current or previous employers if you want hiring managers to see you as a team player in the future.
Suppose you publicly disparage a colleague or company (current or former). In that case, it may give the impression to future employers that you are unprofessional and will treat them with the same disdain as you have treated others. If you are dissatisfied with something, it is preferable to address the situation in person (the old-fashioned way!) rather than in a public forum. When a Texas woman posted on Facebook about how much she despises her job, she discovered the hard way this was the wrong thing to do.
In the same way, always be courteous when participating in forums.
If you’re participating in forums or public discussion groups on social media, especially on professional channels such as LinkedIn, always remember to be courteous and non-aggressive. It is recommended that you avoid writing in all capital letters and using profane or slang language. Particularly when it comes to building a professional network, courtesy and thoughtfulness are required.
Distance Yourself from Uncomfortable Situations
Unfollow or hide comments or information that you consider inappropriate or that does not reflect your personal views or opinions. When maintaining a professional online image, you don’t want to associate with individuals or groups who make inappropriate comments on your page or blog.
Consider your network – could it be that your connections could jeopardize your career?
Only connect with people you know and trust to ensure that your network is supportive of your goal of maintaining a professional presence on social media. You never know when a past connection might come back to bite you.
Change Privacy Settings
There is usually an option to make all or part of your social media profile private, regardless of which social media channel you use. Double-check your privacy settings to ensure that you cannot be tracked down if you don’t want to be.
Please keep in mind that even if your profile is private, your posts can still be seen by your friends and their connections (and depending on your setting, sometimes friends-of-friends). If you post an unprofessional post, people will talk about it, and you will continue to build an unprofessional image of yourself even if your profile is private.
Double Check Spelling and Grammar
Make sure that everything you write is spelled correctly if you want to be taken seriously, just as you would when writing a CV. A similar argument can be made for your use of slang; since it is your platform, no one is expecting you to maintain a flawless public persona at all times, but a pattern of typos and use of slang may portray you as someone different from the one you are.
Conclusion
In this day and age, you must have a well-maintained online reputation. The days of being able to get by with things are long gone. One little mistake can lead to years of work to make right. Continually monitor your posts and connections to present the best possible persona to the world.