What do your social media profiles say about you? Just like the way you behave shows who you are, Facebook or Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn reflect your personality. If employers research you, and they do this, what will they discover about you online? To avoid creating the wrong impression, you need to know the basic rules of social media etiquette.
- Do not share images of yourself which you wouldn’t want people outside your closest circle of friends to see.
- Make sure you review the postings you are mentioned in and let others see only what you want them to. If you don’t like it when people tag you in unflattering photos, try not to do this to others.
- Before submitting a comment to a posting, think about how your reaction will impact those concerned. When sharing your thoughts on social media, do it respectfully, without shaming or offending people. Likewise, do not respond to negative comments and avoid triggering a spat.
- Each social platform has been created for a particular purpose; make sure you are in line with their best practices. Facebook is meant to help you stay close to your community, Twitter is a place where you share personal musings, and on YouTube, you watch and share video content. Use Instagram for daily valuable experiences and LinkedIn to build your professional profile and introduce yourself to employers.
- Social media can add an extra dimension to your CV, illustrating your skills and interests to future employers in a visually appealing format, so use it to showcase yourself. But remember, there is a thin line between highlighting your qualities and bragging about them, so be careful how you come across.
It might be useful to type your name into Google and see the results you get. You can view your personal history and see what employers will find out after a basic search. It’s hard to remove your online social media trails, so use these tips to stay on top of your social profiles and show yourself as someone employers want to hire.