How to Use Social Media to Your Advantage and Not Your Detriment

By Inspiring Interns

In the past couple of decades, the internet has changed not only the whole world, but the job market, too. And in some form or another, everyone has interactions with the World Wide Web. Like it or not, your web presence is a thing, and it doesn’t look to be going away anytime soon.

With so many different ways of presenting oneself on the internet nowadays, it’s difficult to curate your social media to your best advantage. Trying to achieve an instagrammable life is one thing, but have you also considered your web presence in its professional aspect? You as a person and you as a job candidate might feel super distinct, but for any employer having a quick browse, they aren’t. So here’s how to avoid social media mishaps, and even utilise your online persona in order to maximise job success.

 

Sort Out Your Facebook Privacy

It seems like (and, to be honest, is) kind of a boring task, but taking a few minutes to review your Facebook settings is the very first step in curating a more employable online presence. If you don’t believe me, just go and take a look at your profile through a potential employer’s eyes. See, I told you.

 

And This Means Being Choosy With Your Profile Picture

Even the most tightly locked up Facebook profile still has a small picture visible to the public. So just try to make sure it’s inoffensive and impossible to be misconstrued.

 

Get Your Instagram In Order

This either means maintaining a mild yet professional presence, or again, getting those privacy settings on lockdown. Another good tip if you want to keep your open profile is to just keep your full name off the account. That way, it won’t be so easily search-engined.

 

Be Careful What You’re Tweeting

Twitter, we all know, is the land of both the stupid, immature joke and the quick, angry, sweary retort. Neither of these exactly scream “potential employee of the month.” Either keep a lid on them, or go private.

 

Consider a Whole New Twitter Account

If it suits the job sphere you want to go into, why not have a professional account set up? If you maintain an active presence tweeting about the right kinds of things, it could turn out to be a boon for your job application.

 

Follow Your Career Inspirations

Everyone has a Twitter account, so hunt out the ones that you think could be helpful in your job search. Following and interacting with the right people makes you look good – plus, you could even come across a job opportunity this way.

 

Get Into a LinkedIn Habit

If you’re a regular social media user, just add checking LinkedIn to your usual daily repertoire. Add people, message people, follow companies – just give it a few minutes a day, much like you would with any other social media platform. It’s easy to tell if a profile has been languishing, and an active profile is not only much more professional seeming, but could also get you some opportunities.

 

And If Someone Views You, Message Them

One extremely useful and often overlooked aspect of LinkedIn is it tells you if your profile has been viewed. So if someone checks you out in a professional manner, why not reach out? They might have something in mind for you. Even if they don’t, it shows you’re proactive and pay attention if nothing else, which are undeniably positive professional qualities. Plus, you don’t have anything to lose!

 

Annie Walton Doyle writes for Inspiring Interns, which specialises in sourcing candidates for internships and giving out graduate careers advice.

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