How to audit your online presence for job-hunting

Have you considered how your social profiles, latest post or what you’ve liked/shared or commented on might be interpreted by a potential employer?

Is there anything that could be taken out of context or misunderstood?

Recent reports suggest 90% of employers find social media important when hiring with online presence playing a role in appraising a candidate’s attitude and mindset. Additionally, 98% of employers admit to doing some form of online research outside of the supplied resume.

Knowing the above, it’s important you understand what your online presence looks like from the outside, and how to best manage it to ensure it presents you in a hireable way!

It’s not all bad – your social content can also aid your application by showcasing you are creative, a good communicator or you have a wide range of interests and a fun, caring personality!

Performance Education’s tips to audit your online profile:

  1. Google Yourself. To get a sense of what people may find on google about you, top tip – use an incognito browse.
    • Try a few combinations – this could include your name with your industry, city you live in and/or previous jobs.
    • Look through the first five pages that google brings up for each search, particularly any social pages linked to you.
    • Take note of any info that may need to be changed or deleted.
  2. Clean up that image! Remove content from social channels that could be considered inappropriate to a potential employer.
    • Untag or delete unsavoury images or videos and unfollow/leave contentious groups.
    • Delete outdated accounts (like Myspace) as they may be an open book if forgotten.
    • Refer to any content you found in google searches – consider removing it.
  3. Control the Settings. Each social platform has privacy settings to control what is seen publicly or what is private for accepted friends.
    • Go through each account to check the privacy settings.
    • Remember privacy is there to protect you… to a degree – hence why we suggest having a greater focus on what you post online.
    • When in doubt, go with the sensible option!
  4. Personal v Private. By separating personal and private accounts you can start to craft your personal brand and online footprint.
    • By knowing which accounts are career focused and others personal, you can curate content accordingly.
    • LinkedIn & Twitter tend to be more professional and can work in your favour – post about your career, achievements and study interests!
    • Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat are largely personal platforms to engage with family & friends to share moments, content, and stay in touch!
    • Sometimes channels will cross over – but the same principal applies, consider if what you are posting is consistent with the brand you are building?
  5. Craft your online presence! Social media isn’t all bad, it also provides an opportunity to stand out and present yourself in a way that will aid a job application.
    • By letting your personality shine on social channels, it can reenforce your resume/presented version of yourself and that you’d be a great cultural fit for the company.
    • Highlight your hobbies or interests – they may align with the companies’ purpose or products and it’s always nice to see someone who is genuinely passionate, and it’s not just a line to get the job.

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