Social media platforms are great for sharing your exciting life and all that you do and are interested in. Unfortunately, at times they may provide far too much information and insights we don't necessarily want our prospective employers to see.
Your social media posts are never the reason you are hired but can be a reason why you were ruled out. You just need to look in the media to see how posts from 15 years ago can come back to haunt you.
And let's be honest, these days; it's rather easy to offend people unintentionally!
The big clean-up!
Generally speaking, our older content tends to be the problem as it isn't a reflection of who we are now. So best to go back and archive or delete any of those dodgy posts or tweets. Some social media platforms have the option to delete posts after a few months, and that can be a great help, especially with platforms like Twitter.
And yes, dancing on the table in your bikini and downing a bottle of champagne may have been your best night, but it doesn't necessarily portray the right image. We all love to post those controversial jokes, not because we necessarily believe them but because they are funny – coming across as a misogynist is definitely not a great idea, especially if your recruiter or prospective employer is a woman. Look at each post and ask yourself if it is one you would happily show your boss.
Now it's time to look at your connections; those may need a clean-up as well. A lot can be said for who you follow!
Showcase yourself
We all know that different platforms are better for posting personal photographs etc., but let's start off with LinkedIn, which is every recruiter or prospective employer's go-to place to be. It always amazes us and sorry to say but this often applies to women - your profile pic should always be professional and those pics with cleavage, all we can say is No, No, NO!
Have a look at the attributes you have put on your CV and check if your social media reflects them. You can't say that you are a friendly and outgoing person, if your social media is full of depressed or negative posts and those nasty or offensive tweets, delete them immediately.
On a final note
In case you think we are being over dramatic, research has shown that 90% of employers take prospective employees' social media into account. And if you're in HR, you definitely want to do a complete overhaul, as 79% of HR professionals have not been hired due to their inappropriate content. Now is as good a time as any to go and do a social media cleanup. There is enough competition out there, so don't let what you can control negatively impact your job search!
