Don’t have social media? Unless you are working undercover, are being stalked, or have some other legitimate reason for not being on social media, it’s time to get on board with at least a LinkedIn account. You can get a free account and populate the basics with your picture, your work experience, and your education. I would advocate for putting together a more robust profile, but these are the basics.
If you do use social media, you should audit it. Your social media account can impact your career, both for good—and bad. Here are 5 things to ensure your social media does not negatively affect your career / job search:
1. Establish What’s Already Out There: Locate and document your profiles. Log out of your Google accounts. Clear your browser cache. Then, Google your name. Start with just your name but narrow it down by including your location or your job title. Are the results positive, negative, or neutral?
2. Assess Each Profile: Is there information that could potentially be harmful to your job search? Look for (and delete!) inappropriate photos, posts bad-mouthing coworkers/employers, bad grammar, political comments/views, etc. Also, double-check your privacy settings.
3. Evaluate Your LinkedIn Presence: Spend some time making sure your LinkedIn profile represents you well. Is your LinkedIn Headline effective? Make sure your LinkedIn profile is “complete” and you’ve claimed your custom URL. You should also have a minimum of 300 connections.
4. Identify Any Gaps: Are there any industry-specific or job-specific accounts you need? For example, a developer should have an account on GitHub. A photographer needs an Instagram account. For a writer, consider a Tumblr or Medium account.
5. Assess Your Total Social Media Presence: Ensure consistency across all your social media profiles. Consider using the same professional photo on all your social media accounts so it’s easy for a prospective employer to identify it as your profile. Make sure your name, job titles, and dates match those on your resume.
If you're new to LinkedIn, check out our e-book Getting Started With LinkedIn, or try taking our self-assessment, LinkedIn Scorecard, which allows you to evaluate the effectiveness of your profile!