Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and various other social media platforms are out there for most of us to enjoy, but if you’re applying for a job, the things you share or post publicly might affect your chances. Nowadays, some employers might check and monitor the social media accounts of aspiring applicants. The relevance of what can be publicly seen in your accounts might be an indicator for the employers for them to decide if you are suitable and fit to join the company.

The good thing is, you can use this to your advantage by checking and monitoring your own accounts!

Simply follow these steps to prepare for your job search and make sure you make a good impression.

Google Yourself
Using Google or other web search engines, simply search for your own name to see what information pops out about you. Using the “Incognito” or private browsing window can also help avoid biased search results. You will be able to see what shows if they look for information using your name for the first time. In case you see any unappealing images or private information that you don’t want to be known to public, have it taken down or contact the owner of the account or website that has it.

Check Social Media Pages
Most of the time, social media pages are the top results on Google when you look for information about yourself. You might be using Facebook and Twitter now, but you might also come upon your old accounts in Myspace or Friendster back in early 2000s and see embarrassing photos. Hopefully, you can recall access to your previous passwords to clear out unwanted posts from it. You can also contact the website administrator for help if you need assistance.

Professional Profile Photos
The first thing noticeable in your social media account would be your profile photo. Make sure that it is focused on you, so avoid using a group picture or your pet for professionalism. It would be ideal to keep using the same photo or similar images for each platform to be consistent and recognizable, as experts suggests. If possible, your photo should also be smiling or showing teeth, formally dressed, and include your head and shoulders within the frame.

Mind What You Post
Employers would consider hiring competent and well-mannered professionals to join their team. Thus, you might want to check if you’re posting too much social outings or party pictures, try to tone down or consider editing privacy settings so it would only be visible to certain people. Always remember to think before you click. Don’t post or share offensive or insensitive content directed to anyone, as these can be taken in a negative way. Also, do not comment negative or badmouth your previous work, boss, or co-workers as this would imply that you are not being professional online. Instead, you may add your professional strengths or skills to your Twitter bio or use hashtags in your Instagram that show your ability for marketing. If you’re in the creative industry, you may share samples of your previous art and works. For sales industry, you can share your quarterly achievements. Share positive and optimistic messages instead of negative ones. Landing your next job might be influenced as you click “post”.

Once you get these done, you have nothing to worry about your identity in the virtual world to affect your employment. Hopefully, these can boost your confidence and assure your employer that you are qualified for the job.

If you are looking for more tips and assistance on how you can be fully prepared for your job application, you can check around our website and see what kind of help you need! Send us a message and we’ll be happy to help you out!


Reference: https://applya.com/employment-screening/how-to-do-a-social-media-background-check-on-yourself/