Iconic Recruit consultant Katie Boulter provides some common-sense tips on auditing our presence on social media.
It is no secret that social media and online platforms play a huge part in our day to day lives, but when was the last time you checked your online presence and completed an audit?
93 per cent of recruiters are likely to look at a candidate's social media, with about 68 per cent of employers using Facebook to search potential employees.
People are across multiple platforms these days, from Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok - as well as more professional platforms like Linkedin.
At a Glance:
While this can certainly work to our advantage it can also be a big disadvantage when applying for your next role if you haven’t taken the time to check how you’re presented online.
Do you know how you present online if someone was to search you?
Here are some quick tips to check yourself online as well as do a quick audit to present professionally if somewhere were to search you.
1. Start by googling yourself - doing this in an incognito window as it removes any preferences you have set on your browser. You can then see what others see when searching your name. It also helps to check the image tab as well. Upon checking the image tab this will help you to identify where the images are linking back to, whether it be a local newspaper or a tagged photo on Facebook.
2. For Facebook and Instagram - check your privacy settings as well as conduct an audit of your friends list. You can also untag yourself in posts or images you aren't wanting to appear on these platforms. As mentioned, don't forget that these tags can also show up in Google searches and are often the photos that slip through the cracks as it depends on the person's privacy settings that has tagged you in the image, not your own settings.
3. If you are working in an industry where you need to present yourself on social media - creating a separate account purely for business always presents professionally and means you can focus on your brand as well as specific content for your audience (not your weekend out with friends).
4. Ensure your Linkedin photo is a professional shot and not a selfie. Making sure your employment history is up to date and corresponds correctly with your resume. Lastly sharing and interacting with content and people relevant to your industry. All of the above will mean you are showing up in peoples searches on Linkedin in that are most relevant to your industry and knowledge.
Having a strong online presence that presents you in a positive and professional manner can be the make or break in some situations.
As Warren Buffett said “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently”.
Iconic Recruit positions vacant listed on Recon Jobs here
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