#JobInterviewTips #SocialMediaCheck #OnlinePresence #Professionalism
Are you preparing for a job interview? 🕵️♂️ It’s important to remember that potential employers will likely do a quick search of your name on social media before deciding to hire you. 📱 So, it’s a good idea to do a social media background check on yourself before the interview to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Here are some tips to help you clean up your online presence and present yourself in the best possible light:
##Why Do a Social Media Background Check?
Before we dive into the steps you should take, let’s understand why it’s crucial to do a social media background check before a job interview. Your online presence can give employers insight into your personality, professionalism, and behavior outside of work. Here are some reasons why you should consider this:
* Employers often use social media as a screening tool.
* Your online presence can impact your chances of getting hired.
* Avoid any potentially negative or compromising material being seen by employers.
##Steps to Do a Social Media Background Check
Now that you know why it’s important, here are the steps you should take to do a social media background check on yourself before a job interview:
###1. Google Yourself
Perform a quick Google search of your name to see what comes up. Look beyond the first page of results, as employers may dig deeper to find information about you. Take note of any negative or outdated information that appears.
###2. Review Your Social Media Accounts
Go through each of your social media accounts (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn) and review your posts, photos, and comments. Make sure to:
* Clean up outdated profiles or accounts.
* Adjust privacy settings to control who can see your posts.
* Delete anything that might not reflect your current professionalism.
###3. Check Your Photos
Photos can speak volumes about your character and behavior. Make sure to:
* Remove any inappropriate or controversial photos.
* Untag yourself from any unflattering photos posted by others.
* Consider updating your profile picture to a professional and appropriate image.
###4. Evaluate Your Comments and Posts
Review your past posts and comments to ensure they are suitable for a professional setting. Consider:
* Deleting or editing any posts that could be deemed offensive or inappropriate.
* Avoid posting negative comments or complaints about previous employers.
* Showcase your interests, accomplishments, and positive traits through your posts.
###5. Update Your LinkedIn Profile
LinkedIn is a popular platform for professional networking and job searching. Make sure your profile is up to date and reflects your skills and experience:
* Update your work experience, education, and skills.
* Add a professional headline and summary.
* Connect with industry professionals and join relevant groups to enhance your visibility.
##Conclusion
In today’s digital age, it’s essential to maintain a positive and professional online presence. By conducting a social media background check on yourself before a job interview, you can proactively manage your online reputation and avoid any potential red flags that may arise. Remember, first impressions matter, both in person and online. Good luck on your job search! 🌟
By following these steps, you can present yourself in the best possible light and increase your chances of impressing potential employers during the interview process. Remember, your online presence is a reflection of who you are, so make sure it showcases your professionalism and positive qualities. #JobSearchTips #OnlineReputation #ProfessionalDevelopment 🤝
If you search my name on any social media sites you won’t find me.
Wait, they’re gonna find my old Myspace page?!
lol if someone interviewing me ever brought up one of my social media profiles as a gotcha moment, the only unpleasant surprise would be me walking out on them immediately.
Better yet, do it before the interview, especially for client-facing roles. Regardless of their own personal beliefs or biases, some employers will not even consider you on the basis that their clients could be put off by what they might find just by Googling you.
Some pages are archived and are impossible to erase so keep that in mind as well. Always presume that anything you’ve posted online at any point may become public knowledge.
I’m a hiring manager and 100% look up people’s social media accounts prior to even setting up an interview. With that said, you don’t have to scrub it 100%. I don’t take any issues at all with someone who has fun with their life and I don’t expect it to be perfect.
What I’m looking for are things like blatant trolling of people, being mean to people, habitual ilicit drug use, any kind of ill will against people (racism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc), stuff like that.
I didn’t land a gig once because of social media. What did they find you ask? They found I did volunteer work at an animal shelter and the place that was interested in me did research on animals. to be fair it was my job that wanted me to work with them and I didn’t know anything about them till I failed the background check.
Before I hire anyone and I mean anyone I always look at their social media.
I do find it very interesting when I can’t locate someone and that usually does not work in the candidates favor.
I hire executives and professionals, if you want to stand out start by building your brand!
Don’t hide!
Or just… don’t be a toolbag online?
Can’t find what doesn’t exist.
I interviewed for a job and the boss/ interviewer said he was going to dig into my background. Right there during the interview I pulled out my phone and did a search on him, found some interesting stuff. It goes both ways these days
that is why i plan to change my name completely out of the university. To many inappropriate memes on my social media for the most part.
I have a really unique name, the kind of name that I thought there’d only be one of in the world. Turns out there is another person with my name, in the same country, near the same age…but is a criminal.
I honestly don’t know if I should tell people when I apply for jobs as its the first result on Google.
I even contacted the newspaper several times asking nicely if they could take down an article about it.
I have mentioned this to job hunters and they just blow me off as if there is no way the old boomer doing the hiring would even think of checking social media.
Meanwhile I have searched social media for prospective hires and have, on more than one occasion, discovered the applicants “personal profile” and their “professional profile”.
Their personal profile was much different than how they presented themselves on their professional profile and the company I work for decided they would not be a good fit.
I’ve had hobbies brought up against me that I posted for raises/promotion. Said I was too worried about my hobbies outside of work. Lmfao? Hahaha 😆 😂
I only looked at 10 pages on google, but they’re all about a CEO, a baseball player, a musician, or a lawyer. I’m none of those. In fact, I’m not even the same race as some of them. Plus I have far more facial hair. I think I’m good.
When u google Abiy I either get some African politician or hentai 🐱
I posted so much cosplay and fandom stuff as a minor under my actual name and it’s neeeeever going away. I’m in my late twenties now. Hundreds of embarrassing results from 2010-2014 when you look up my name.
My two options are to vehemently deny that it’s me in the photos/videos, or point out that at least the posts had high engagement. Lol
Boy am I glad I really only post about making aesthetic photos.
Good tip since I Googled myself and a top result is a photo of a dude just hangin a fat beefer out in Palm Beach
Log out of your Gmail account before googling yourself. Or do it in an incognito tab.
Twitter:
-Go to search
-type in your username with the @ (@a-davidson) followed by any unwanted terms
-Ex: let’s say I know the company I’m applying for wouldn’t like me using the word “idiot”
Twitter -> search-> @a-davidson idiot
^ this is will give you all results of anytime you’ve tweeted that word
I’ve never used my real name on any social media sites. Let them search all they want. They’ll never find Bill Buttlicker!