It’s common knowledge that if you want to get a life these days, the best place to turn is social media – particularly Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. What many people are starting to realize though, is that properly managing your online personality is critical – especially when it comes to starting a career. Your profile, photos and comments could ruin your chances of impressing employers and landing the job you’ve been searching for.
Here are a few tips for keeping social media fun – without losing career opportunities:
- Privacy. It’s a good rule of thumb to keep your Facebook profile private. Even if you don’t post pictures of yourself guzzling beer and partying with your friends, an employer could have preferences that you simply can’t predict. It’s better to err on the side of caution and let your resume do the talking. On the other hand, you want to keep your LinkedIn profile public, since networking is the purpose of that site. Plus, with LinkedIn, you can hide certain parts of your profile from people you aren’t connected to. Always assume that your boss can see what you post!
- Keep it positive. More and more, people are finding their next job through connections they make on LinkedIn and Facebook. You want to create as many positive interactions with as many people as possible, since you never know where that next lead is going to come from. So make sure that you take an interest in others and find out what people are up to. Plus, people love talking about what they’re doing and will respond kindly if you show genuine interest. Be wary of getting caught up in petty arguments. You might rub someone the wrong way – someone who could offer your next opportunity.
- Don’t be afraid to be social. We’re not trying to scare you away from social media; we just want you to be smart about it! It’s not enough to reach out and accumulate 500 connections. You have to interact with the people who comment on your posts, and you have to post content of your own. People often “friend” someone on Facebook that they met once and may only speak to a couple times afterward. What’s the point? Treat every relationship like a potential opportunity. That doesn’t mean you have to keep up with 500+ people every day. But be mindful when a post or comment catches your eye. People love it when they get relevant comments or compliments on their posts and pictures.
- Another good guideline, especially if you don’t know a connection very well, is to keep your comments short and sweet!
- Be consistent with your profile. Since you are assuming that any potential employer will look at your profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., make sure that your information is consistent across all media and that the information also reflects your current resume. If there are any contradictions, they could assume that you are misrepresenting your qualifications. Although it’s easy to explain that you haven’t had a chance to update your profile, you might not get the opportunity.
So now that you have some tips for making social medial work for your career search, do you need to clean up your profile? Just remember, always keep it positive, and if you don’t want the world to know, then keep it private.
