Introduction
Social media has become a huge part of our lives, but it's easy to forget that it can also be a massive liability. When we're all alone in our room and interacting with other people online, we don't always remember that the things we say or do can affect others, especially when it comes to job applications. So what are some ways you can protect yourself?
Do a social media check-in.
You should conduct a quick social media check-in. Take a look at everything you’ve posted: public profiles, private profiles, and any other accounts that might be linked to your main one (like Facebook groups or Instagram). What do they say about you? What impression do they give an employer?
You may not even realize how much information is available on your social media profiles until it's too late—for example, people often post pictures with friends without realizing that those pictures show up on their profile page too. If there's anything inappropriate in these photos (say another person drinking alcohol), consider cropping out their faces before posting anything online again--just make sure not too crop so much out that it makes it hard for someone else who sees these photos later on down the road!
Social media profiles can be like a resume.
Your social media profile is a reflection of who you are, so it's important to keep it clean. Employers can find things on your social media that might not be related to the job you're applying for, but they could impact how they perceive you. For example, if an employer sees photos of a party where alcohol was served and minors were present, they may wonder about your judgment or professionalism.
Also consider that some employers may ask for permission to look at your social media profiles during interviews or before hiring decisions are made (depending on the company’s policy). If this happens, make sure your account is clear and up-to-date when asked for access.
Think about the things you put online.
When you're applying for a job, you want to put your best foot forward. This means that when employers do a background check on you and see something on your TikTok that's out of line with what they're looking for in an employee, they'll probably be less likely to hire you. It's important to think carefully about what information should go online, as well as what should stay offline.
If you're going to post anything online—whether it's pictures or statuses or tweets—you need to be aware of what hiring managers are looking for when they search social media profiles. They'll look for red flags such as negative keywords in the posts or pictures (ex: "I hate my boss" could be seen by some employers as an indication of poor work ethic). They might also notice if there aren't any recent updates or posts made on the account; this could indicate laziness or lack of interest in staying connected with friends/family members via social media channels like Twitter and Instagram!
If possible try not putting too much personal information into these public spaces - especially if it reflects poorly upon yourself professionally (such as drunken party photos).
Learn how to set privacy controls.
Learn how to set privacy controls.
Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram allow you to control who can see your posts. On Twitter, for example, you can choose who sees your tweets by selecting "Protect my Tweets" in the account settings. You'll have the option of protecting all tweets or individual ones that are sensitive in nature or have confidential information (such as an address). Once these settings are made, anyone who isn't following you won't be able to find you on Twitter unless they search for a particular hashtag associated with your tweet.
Change privacy settings for old posts when applying for jobs online.
If there's something on your social media profile that could be considered unprofessional or inappropriate (even if it was from years ago), change the privacy setting and delete anything questionable before applying for jobs online—especially if those apps will send recruiters directly to your profile page without first requiring them access through some type of login/password combination process (like what LinkedIn does).
Be cautious about what you share, but don't panic needlessly.
Don't panic needlessly. While it's true that employers will use social media as a tool to vet candidates, don't let this stop you from posting on social media. Employers are also increasingly turning to sites like LinkedIn and Facebook to find applicants they want to interview—and you should be using these sites too!
Don't share anything you wouldn't want a potential employer to see. This means avoiding sarcastic comments about your friends, gossip about coworkers and bosses, photos of illegal activity (including drunk driving), and other potentially embarrassing posts that could easily come back to haunt you if someone screenshotted them and shared them without your consent or knowledge.
Don't share anything that could be used against you in a court of law—or worse yet, blackmailed with! Your best bet is never admit guilt or wrongdoing online; if something goes wrong at work (whether there's an investigation into misconduct or not), the last thing anyone wants is proof lying around somewhere showing exactly what happened during those events.
Social media can actually help in your job search, if you use it properly.
Social media can actually help in your job search, if you use it properly. For example, a LinkedIn profile helps you to build your professional brand and connect with other professionals that are in the same industry as you. You can also use Twitter or Facebook to find out about a company's culture beforehand, which gives you an advantage when applying for jobs there.
Conclusion
As with any tool, social media is only as good or bad as the person using it. So while it's important to be careful about what you post, don't let your fear of someone finding out a secret keep you from sharing your best self on social media. When it comes down to it, are there really employers out there who care if you're a fan of football or not? Probably not—in fact, they might even see that as an asset! As long as you're being honest in your job search and using all available tools at your disposal (including those outside traditional ones like resumes), then any potential employer should be able to find something positive about hiring you regardless of how much time they spend looking at your online presence before meeting face-to-face.