How to Clean Up Your Social Media for Employers
There’s no escaping social media. Almost everyone has some form of social media that they frequent – your parents included!
It should come as no surprise that 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process, and about 43% of employers use social media to check on current employees (source). There are many reasons why an employer would check out your social media accounts, but mainly, they want to get a sense of whether you’re a good fit for their company.
Knowing that there’s a high chance of your social media channels being screened by future employers, you’re probably curious (and maybe a little worried) about what you can do to clean up your online profiles.
If you are, keep reading – we’ve got some tips to help make your social media presence more professional!
Assume they’ll check everything
Since there’s no way to confirm what platforms employers will check, just assume that they’ll look at everything!
While you should definitely audit every account, there are some platforms hiring managers are more likely to check, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Most employers view LinkedIn as a secondary resume, so prioritize keeping your LinkedIn profile up to date.
You need a current photo, an updated education and experience section, and an “about” section that clearly states what you do and what you’re looking for. It’s super important that your profile matches your resume, as having a disconnect can give employers the impression that you’re not taking your job search or professional image seriously.
Don’t forget to turn on the “open to new opportunities” feature, which shows your profile to more hiring managers. Bonus points if you get people in your network to vouch for you in the “skills & endorsements” section!
At this point, you might be wondering, “but what about my other social media profiles? Should I make them private or delete them?” Surprisingly, the answer is no.
Don’t turn on privacy mode or delete your profiles
These days, it’s uncommon NOT to have any social media presence, and to be honest, it’s suspicious!
Employers are going to feel the same way when they discover that your profiles are either all private or non existent. At best, they’ll assume you’re a private person. At worst, they’re unable to get a feel for your character, or they’ll assume you have something to hide. Either way, not having any social media presence can backfire and turn off potential employers.
Instead, ensure all of your social media channels are clean and show off different aspects of your life. We’re not saying that your profiles need to be edited down until they’re devoid of personality, but at the very least, they should be employer-friendly.
Audit your profiles and keep it clean
Start by Googling yourself. If you have a common name, it shouldn’t be an issue, but if you have a unique one, it’s good practice. You might find some old accounts you forgot about that no longer represents your professional brand (like angsty Tumblr content or cringey YouTube videos).
Try to clean up the first page of Google results by deactivating old accounts. It might take Google’s algorithm a few days to update, so remember to check back after removing content to see the most current results.
Ensure your usernames and profile photos are professional and consistent across various platforms to avoid confusion and to make it easier for employers to find you.
Archive or delete any posts with profanity, inappropriate content, mention or usage of drugs and alcohol, or controversial topics. Generally, the more conservative your industry, the cleaner your profile should be.
If you prefer, you can make your personal accounts private and create new accounts with a professional username and more employer-friendly content. If you go this route, just make sure you have a handful of posts up BEFORE you apply for a job so that it’s not obvious to employers that you just created the accounts.
Now that you’ve cleaned up your accounts, you can feel confident knowing that potential employers will only see what you want them to see.
Tune in for our next blog post where we’ll discuss how you can best leverage your social media presence to your professional advantage!
