Cleaning up Your Social Media Presence to Make Yourself a Standout Hire 

As we post more and more about our lives online, it becomes an easy way for prospective employers to get an idea of who you are outside of the office. There are lots of red flags that recruiters look for when they are scrolling through your social media profiles. If you follow these steps you will be three steps ahead of anyone else applying for the job.

Tip 1: Clean Up Your Pictures

Recruiters aren't going to spend hours looking through your pictures online, but making a good first impression will go a long way. If your profile picture is a well-light, kind, and friendly picture it will make a much better impression than a distasteful internet meme. Take a quick look at the pictures that are showing up under your "photos" tab and be sure they aren't anything questionable. Be sure to delete or private any pictures of excessive drinking or drug use, and definitely take down anything illegal!

Tip 2: Keep Your Opinions out of It!

We all have that one family member who posts a little too much about their political views on Facebook. It probably doesn't bother you too much if you agree with their stance, but if you don't it makes the next family gathering a little more uncomfortable! We are all so lucky to live in a society where we are allowed to so freely share our opinions, but here's the truth: people like to be around other people who share the same opinions as them. While it may give you an edge if a recruiter sees that you agree with them on a certain hot-button topic, it is just as likely they will be on the polar opposite side of the spectrum as you and it will make them skip over you in consideration for the position.

Tip 3: Delete Any Touchy Content About Your Old Job

Most of us have said some things, in frustration, that we wish we could take back. Thankfully with the "delete" button on social media, we can! Most social media platforms will have a search function to allow you to look through your posts. Try searching for words like "job" or the name of your previous company/boss to be sure you don't have any particularly negative posts about them. As much as your boss deserved the stern words, from a recruiter's end it just looks like you're a troublesome employee.