Everyone in the world, it seems, is just a little bit famous. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and even the email we write expose parts of ourselves that a generation ago would have been sequestered. This is great and fun in so many ways. How would we live if we didn’t know what our friends were eating for lunch? When it comes time to look for a job, however, you’ll want your on-line persona to be as employable as you are! (Bonus question: how long until your children will be old enough to view your page?)
It may be a little creepy thinking of prospective employers scouring Facebook for clues about you, but everything you tag as the public will be available to them and anything accessible to your friends would be available to anyone who could become a future employer. Do not let colleagues from work as Facebook friends? Could one leave for a job where she could be in a position to hire you? Your LinkedIn profile, if you get one (and you should have one) is an employer’s leading social networking stop, but it won’t be their last. They’ll search for you on every major platform.
The following are tips to make sure that your public profile is ready for human resources:
1. Update your LinkedIn profile. Don’t let it get stale. Make sure it is as professional and polished as a resume.
2. Clean up your Facebook profile. Some of the things you thought were clever may not seem so knowledgeable to human resources. Review your profile and your posts to be assured there is not anything there that you wouldn’t say in the office.
3. Limit your political rants. Facebook is the reason why most people the only public platform available for ranting about politics. Many fall into the habit. Not only does a political rant offends about half of your friends, it likely offends about half of the employers. If you must advocate for a candidate, be guaranteed 100% of the time—never tear down other people that someone else admires. Better rule: never tear down other people.
4. Eliminate bigotry from your pages. Employers have a duty to prevent discrimination in the workplace. If a candidate employer gets the impression from a joke you liked or a photo you shared on Facebook that you are a bigot, your chance of finding employment goes out the window.
5. Eliminate sexual and “adult” language. Erotic images and adult language—language many people still call offensive—may help to a hostile work environment. In other words, such talk and imagery could be examined sexual harassment in the workplace. Dump it before an employer dumps your resume in the trash.
6. Don’t trash your employer. Your next employer won’t want to get trashed on the Internet so don’t trash the employer you’ve got. The fastest way to get your resume trashed is to trash the very people who pay you so you can have a right on Facebook.
7. Write a blog. Type a blog about your expertise. Use of blog to show your knowledge. A blog gives you a formal place to display off. Post relates to your blog posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networking sites where you have profiles. Focus future employers on your capabilities to distract them from the simple silly photos of you with your kids at the beach.
8. Clean up the email. Come out of the habit of forwarding silly, political, sappy and additional emails to everyone in your address book. This old habit is largely dying out anyway (I only get forwards from my friends over 60), but don’t get caught forwarding something offensive or false. Trust me; you won’t actually have bad luck even if you don’t forward this message to ten friends right now.
By performing the following tips, you prepare yourself for the almost inevitable subsequent job search. Form effective social networking habits today so that there will be less to improve if you are ever looking for a job again. Remember, too, that many of the best jobs come up when you’re not looking. Keeping yourself tidy has a whole new meaning for our generation.
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