The new year is a time to sweep out our bad habits and embrace new, healthy practices. For instance, some people chose to improve their physical health by exercising more and eating healthier. But this year, why not focus on your online presence and clean up your social media accounts?
It's the perfect New Year's resolution, especially if you are graduating this spring or looking for summer internships. The truth is that social media is playing a larger part in how companies consider your employment. More hiring managers today are looking at applicants’ social profiles before making hiring decisions. So, here are some quick ways to help your social media accounts sparkle:
1. Remove inappropriate content.
It will take some time to scroll through years worth of content on multiple social media profiles, but removing inappropriate content is necessary to make your accounts more professional. Content that should be deleted includes: provocative or inappropriate photographs, anything related to drinking or using drugs, posts complaining about work or co-workers, content with spelling or grammar errors, and discriminatory comments related to race, religion, etc.
2. Trim your friends list.
If you've had a Facebook account for years, you've probably accumulated hundreds or maybe even thousands of "friends". But chances are, you may not even remember who some of these people are. To help you who decide who to cut and who to keep, scan through your friends or followers list and ask yourself: Do I know this person in real life? Would I start a conversation with them if I ran into them at the grocery store? If not, you should probably remove the connection from your social network.
A refined friends list will not only make your profiles more professional, it will also de-clutter your timeline, allowing you to see more content that you're interested in.
3. Update your profile photos and information.
Now that you've spent time removing content, you should also take some time to add new content. One idea is to change your profile picture to a nice, high-quality photo of yourself, or update your cover photo to a compelling image that showcases your personality. You should also make sure that information such as your bios and work history are updated and consistent across all platforms.
4. Check your privacy settings.
Each social media platform has its own privacy settings, and these settings change often. That's why it's important to continually check your privacy settings and make sure that your information is protected.
5. Produce better content.
Employers are not only searching for bad behavior on social media, they also want to know if you'd be a good fit for their team. The content you post on your social media profiles is your chance to showcase your unique skills and personality, so don't miss the opportunity to make a positive impression! Try sharing links to articles or news in your field, or interesting photographs that you've taken.
6. Think before you post.
Finally, save yourself some work years down the road and ensure that your social media accounts stay clean and professional. Refrain from cluttering it up by simply thinking before you post. Ask yourself, what is the purpose of this post? Am I just ranting or complaining? Will it add value to other's lives?
Spending some time cleaning up your social media accounts and practicing professional social media habits is not only a great new year's resolution, it may also help you land a job in the future.
