Employers do check job applicants' social media presence at some point in the interview process. Some check your background when stumbling upon you while searching for talent on LinkedIn; others do so right before the interview, and other employers conduct a thorough investigation before extending an offer. No matter what the employer's process is, you have to assume that people will want to check you out online during the recruitment process.
Here are some ways to not only clean up your online image, but also put forth a positive image that will leave employers wanting you on their team:
1) Google your name in Google Search. Perform a search on your name to simply see what comes up. This will help you come up with a game plan not only to clean up your profile but also to proactively strategize what to include to improve your online image and set you apart.
2) Search for your name on other Search Engines other than Google, such as Bing and Yahoo. While search results should be consistent, sometimes they vary. Double-check and ensure you are coming across as you wish.
3) Maintain a professional, but fun, Facebook profile. Mind the pictures you post, and consider limiting others' tags on pictures on your wall. Ensure your wall and photos are professional in nature (so take down the party pic of you dancing on the bar with your friends). Post academic achievements (I received an A on my chem. Exam!!), athletic wins (I just did my PB during the 5K race!) and non-profit initiatives (Loved participating in the food pantry fundraiser last night…consider joining me at the next event).
4) Check your name in Google Images. Here, you will see which pictures online are connected to or tagged with your name publicly. You may not have all of your and your friends' Facebook pictures appear, depending on your privacy settings. However, all public photos tagged with your name will appear.
5) Check your privacy settings on Facebook and other online media. Assume nothing you put on the web is ever private—that is my cardinal rule. If you are in doubt about whether to put it up, well, maybe you should not.
6) Write a professional LinkedIn Profile that is optimized with keywords to improve your ability to be found by recruiters and land an interview. 93% of recruiters use LinkedIn to find their next hire. You need to be here.
7) Create a Twitter account to follow target companies and network with contacts who can help you lead to your dream job. Twitter provides real-time data to improve your communication with key contacts.
8) Consider removing information that references topics that should not be considered as part of a hiring decision, such as religion, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or other group represented in Title VII or the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is discriminatory to request this data or to use it in a hiring decision. But if the information is provided by the applicant, it can (wrongly) be used in a hiring decision unconsciously.
9) Share positively across all social media channels. Negative rants are a major turnoff for employers, as no one wants to hire their next problem. Demonstrate your ability to communicate constructively and don't overshare.
10) If you do have negative information about you that you cannot remove, or share a name with a life-long criminal, one option you have is to create new content by launching a blog, writing online book reviews, creating a personal website URL (i.e., www.yourname.com), and using other tactics to bury the information.
11) Not coming up anywhere online is almost as bad as having a negative online image. Employers wonder whether you get technology and/or what have you have been doing all this time? So get online to get hired.
Maintaining a professional online image without losing your personality is very doable. Take the time to craft the image that is true to you and resonates with employers to land that first job—making your time in school all worth it.
Written by: Lisa Rangel, Executive Resume Writer
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