Quintessential Careers Blog

Clean Up Your Online Act

Posted: 24 Oct 2016 02:00 AM PDT

What do potential employers find when they search for you online? Make sure they find positive, professional results with these tips.

When you’re searching for work, researching companies, and getting the word out that you’re on the job hunt, people, in return, will be looking you up. Keep in mind that hiring managers are searching hard to find the candidates they’re looking for. They aren’t just passively accepting and reviewing resumes. They’re using Google, LinkedIn, industry blogs, and keyword searches to learn more about candidates – you included.

So, be prepared. You may assume that your blog and your Twitter feed are off limits to hiring managers, but they aren’t. If it’s on the web, your employers can find it…and they will. Here are a few ways to stay on top of the process.

How to Counteract Potential Red Flags

If a Google search for your name contains anything questionable that you can’t remove or have taken down, you’ll need to move those red flags down the list of search results. To do this, you will need to flood the internet with positive, professional activity on your end. Your first step will be to clean up your social media accounts. Your second will be to participate on the web in a professional manner.

Clean up your LinkedIn page.

A few years ago, employers would review candidate’s personal social media accounts to understand if you’d be a company culture fit – and to see if you have any red flags. However, with rise of professional networking sites like LinkedIn, employers will make this their first stop. So, before you attack your Facebook wall and Twitter feed, clean up your LinkedIn profile; make sure your shared information is carefully edited and contains meaningful keywords.

Now, do a clean sweep.

Once your LinkedIn page is in top shop, it’s time to do a clean sweep of your social media accounts. Lock down your privacy settings on Facebook. Get rid of any questionable or unprofessional photos. Check your Twitter account and remove tweets that might be considered unprofessional. Review your blog and make sure your last few posts reflect how you’d like to be seen by potential employers.

Comment wisely and professionally.

Join public comment threads on relevant industry blogs. Add something meaningful to the discourse and consider the possibility that your employers will find these threads. They probably will!

Keywords, keywords, keywords.

Use keywords that you know employers will be looking for when you update your online presence. This tactic is essential for LinkedIn, your blog, and any professional sites you comment on or contribute to. Choice keywords will include your industry-relevant terms, and your most relevant skill sets.

For more on how to clean up your online act, review the tips and guidelines available at LiveCareer.

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