Just because it is social media doesn’t mean it’s casual. Using the internet is an increasingly efficient tool to finding the right job, but this blade is double edged and recruiters now use the internet to do their own digging for all potential recruits. Maybe you were only blowing some steam at the end of a hard day or having a laugh with a few friends until a status update costs you your job.
Any information put on the internet is potentially viewable by anyone. Be protective of your social profiles, especially if you are the kind of person who shares personal information on Facebook or Twitter. Think hard before you complain about work, personal feuds or make derogatory statements. Do not post things you do not want to be brought up at an otherwise promising job interview. Recruiters will look at anything that comes up on a Google search.
The following are a few steps to clean up any existing digital dirt you have out there.
Google yourself: This is the first and simplest step. Depending on how narcissistic you are, you have probably already done this, but this time look at the search result from the recruiter’s perspective. Google your name to see what the recruiters will be seeing, and get to cleaning up any negative digital footprint you left behind.
Make your settings private: Make your personal social media settings as strict as possible. Only your accepted friends should be able to see your posts, not friends of friends and certainly not any larger networks.
Beware of doppelgängers: Find out if there’s some obnoxious loud-mouth somewhere on the internet with the same name as you posting things you do not want to be associated with. If there is, one way to overcome the problem could be by using yours.
Be over-protective: Just because you have your privacy set to maximum doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. You never know who knows who, and who is seeing what. Protect yourself by not posting thoughtless things.