You may think that uploading silly photographs of yourself to your social media profiles is just a bit of fun, but with most employers now checking social media before inviting a candidate for interview, you may be at risk of damaging your chances of getting your dream job.
Here are some tips:
- Make sure your accounts are private. On Facebook you can even view your profile as the public sees it, so you can make sure potential employers can only see what you want them to see
- Even if you think your accounts are all set to “private,” you should always be on your best behaviour as some content is still visible
- So it’s probably best to remove that picture of you drinking a fish bowl whilst doing a handstand…
- Don’t post anything that could be interpreted as sexist, racist or otherwise offensive. People have been fired as quickly as they were hired for what they’ve posted online
- Don’t let your guard down, even once you’ve got the job. You’d be surprised how many people post to their profiles when they’re supposed to be working. We all like the occasional skive but doing it so publicly is just plain silly
The most important thing to remember when posting is ‘would I be happy if my employer saw this?’ If the answer is ‘no’ then it’s best not to post it or remove it if someone has tagged you.
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