Everything (literally almost) is on the internet nowadays. You can learn so much about a person by just searching their names on Google. There are even search methods, wherein you could use their pictures to search who they are! We can sometimes have our embarrassing moments posted on social media that was tagged by a friend, only to be seen by your potential future employer who you just had an interview with yesterday–yikes! This is why it’s important to regularly (even once every 3 months) spruce up your online persona. Here’s how.
List Down Your Accounts
Source: The Tech News
All of them: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Check which ones you don’t really ue and delete them. This will decrease the number of accounts you need to monitor and will reduce the risk of hackers and identity thieves.
Check Your Security and Privacy Settings
Source: Dreamstime
Make sure your privacy and security settings for social media are set to your desired settings. Make a list of 4-5 passwords (or more if you want) that you use in round-robin every 2-3 months. Always pause and think before posting personal information and pictures online. Make sure no one can post on your Facebook timeline without your approval.
Think like a hiring manager
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Source: The Balance
Put yourself in an employer’s shoes. If they were to review your social media profiles, what would they think?
Remove inappropriate items on your feed
Remove anything on your social media that can ruin your chance of being hired or getting a promotion (like online rants about your previous employer, or how unfair your current company is). If you do have posts like these, it’s time to clean them up! Also, learn which content should be posted on what platform. For example Linkedin is usually for business and career-oriented posts, and Instagram is used usually for personal use. Always think about the content before posting.
Test your online image
You can do this by searching your name in different search engines and see what comes up. If you find anything old you don’t want to be seen anymore, maybe it’s time to delete them. If anyone has posted anything inappropriate about you, such as an embarrassing drunk picture, politely ask them to delete it.
Remember to continue being yourself in your social media platforms, these rules are simply guides but what you post is entirely up to you. To summarize this post, simply make sure you know the consequences of what you post.
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