How to Clean Up Your Online Social Media Profiles for Job Seekers and Professionals

There’s a lot of preparation that goes into a job interview. This includes creating the perfect resume, researching the company you’re applying to, and rehearsing your answers to commonly-asked interview questions.

Unfortunately, all of this hard work can be undone with a simple online search.

Social media is a great tool for staying in touch with friends and connecting with new people. But if you’re not careful about what you’re sharing online it could hurt your chances of landing your dream job.

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers research job candidates on social media. If your online profiles are filled with your weekend antics, disparaging comments, and racy photographs, it will give potential employers the wrong impression.

So, before you start applying for your next job, make sure your social media profiles are in order. Here are a few tips to help you clean up your online presence.

Google Yourself

This is likely the first thing a hiring manager will do when researching you online, so it’s a good idea to have a look for yourself to find out what’s there.

Type your name into Google and see what comes up. There may be nothing, or there may be quite a bit depending on how active you are online. Go through the results and see if there’s anything you’d prefer an employer not find.

This will give you a good idea of what needs to be changed and removed.

Set Your Personal Accounts to Private

The easiest way to prevent a potential employer from seeing anything they’re not supposed to is to set your accounts to private. Most social media platforms have options that will allow you to restrict who can see your posts, so it’s a great idea to take advantage of these options.

In some cases, you may want to make an entire account private. In other instances, it may only be necessary to restrict who can see certain posts. Use your best judgement and set your privacy to a level that makes you feel comfortable.

Just remember that setting your accounts to private won’t completely protect you. Internet content lasts forever, and embarrassing posts and photos have a habit of falling into the wrong hands.

Because of this, you should still take additional precautions.

Delete Embarrassing and Offensive Posts

Even if your accounts are set to private, it’s a good idea to review your post history on all of your accounts and hide or delete any content that’s particularly embarrassing. This might be the most important step to take when cleaning up your social media profiles.

We all have lapses in judgement. Sometimes a post seems like a good idea at the time, but years later can appear to be in bad taste. Look for anything that might be deemed offensive, overly negative, or will portray you in a bad light.

Try to put yourself in your employer’s shoes when looking through your posts. If you see anything that might make someone question your professionalism or ability to do the job it needs to go.

Upload Professional Profile Pictures

Even your social media accounts are set to private, oftentimes your profile image is still visible. This will also mot likely be the first impression an employer will get of you online. 

So, it’s a good idea to use a professional-looking profile picture on all of your accounts, even if the account is just for personal use. Make sure in your photos that you’re dressed in appropriate clothing and exuding a happy and friendly personality. 

If you’re serious about creating a better online presence for yourself, consider hiring a professional photographer to take some portraits of you. It may cost a little money, but it can really enhance your online brand.

Create Separate Professional Social Media Profiles

Social media doesn’t have to be something that hurts your job search. In fact, when done right, a good social media presence can actually help you land a job. Because of this, it’s a good idea to establish some professional profiles that are available to the public and potential employers.

LinkedIn is obviously the best candidate for this type of profile, as it’s specifically intended for business use. A good LinkedIn profile includes an up-to-date bio and work history, and industry-related posts and articles.

But a professional social media presence doesn’t have to be limited to just LinkedIn. For example, you might have a separate Twitter account that you use to network with other professionals in your industry, or a Facebook business page that you use to generate sales leads.

Remember, your social media presence can be an asset as long as your personal and professional posts are kept separate.

Manage Your Social Media Content Moving Forward

It’s a good practice to always be careful about what you share online, whether you’re posting on a public profile or a private one.

Generally speaking, you want your social media presence to be happy, positive, and upbeat. Avoid delving into controversial topics like politics or religion, don’t use vulgar language, and don’t post negative comments about people.

It’s completely fine to share updates of your life on your personal profiles, just use your common sense. If you’re unsure whether a particular post might negatively impact your reputation, save it as a draft and come back to it later when you’re in a different state of mind.

If you’re looking for content to post that will improve your professional image, consider sharing news about your industry, upcoming conferences or work events you’re attending, and other business updates.

Don’t Let Your Social Media Profiles Cost You Opportunities

Your social media presence can either help you or hurt you when you’re looking for a new job, looking to build your network and more. Before starting your job search or meeting anyone new as a professional, make sure you clean up your internet profiles.

Ensure they’re presentable to potential employers and don’t risk losing any opportunities.

By following the steps above, you should be able to create a positive online presence that will help you make a great first impression.