Polish Your Social Footprint As Part Of Your Job Search

Ten years ago, employers felt that looking at a potential employee's social media profiles was taboo. Now, it is part of careful and intentional research that goes into finding a qualified employee. You should fully expect your prospective employers to dive into your social media presence. When they do, will you be ok with what they find? Before sending out your resume, take these five steps to improve your social media presence and give yourself the best chance at snagging the job.

Create An Inventory Of All Of Your Social Media Accounts

While you probably have three or four social media platforms that you use regularly, it's essential to think very carefully about your social media history. Are there accounts you made years ago that you have forgotten about? (Hello, Myspace!) Take a careful inventory of all the social media accounts that you have. Even if you haven't been active on some of these sites for years, Google algorithms don't know that. They will still point potential employees to your online journal of high school drama or cringe-worthy photo-sharing sites. Make sure you know exactly which accounts are linked to your name so you can either update them or delete them.

Start Closing Inactive Accounts

Using this comprehensive inventory, you can start going through different media accounts and social media platforms and closing those that are inactive. This could mean closing email addresses that you haven't used in forever or shutting down that YouTube channel you created when you were confident you were going to be fashion vlogger. The goal is to shut down all of the accounts that you are not currently using. When potential employers Google your name, you want them to be directed towards a professional and accurate representation of who you are.

Streamline What You Share

Once you've narrowed down your social media presence to the specific channels that you use regularly, you can begin to do some polishing. Take some time to think about the image that you want to portray to the world. What message do you want to send to people that visit your social media platforms but don't know you on a personal level? Analyze what you share and how often you share it. Your social media presence should be an accurate reflection of who you are, but you don't have to share everything. As you continue your job search, your social media presence must make employers excited to have you as part of their team. Being selective about what you share is not only a smart move professionally, but it can also be beneficial for your mental health. Oversharing on social media often leads to competition, and competition can lead to loneliness, anxiety, and even depression.

Level Up

Part of polishing your social media presence is upgrading the accounts you currently have. This means replacing the picture of you taking a shot at a party with a more professional profile picture. It also involves updating your location, experience, and resume. Get rid of old content or photos that don't reflect who you are now and who you want prospective employers to see. While you should still use your social media accounts to share your thoughts and ideas and connect with friends and family, you can also use it as a kind of online portfolio. Use your social media account to show off some of your latest work or skills. Sends potential employers will be looking at your profile anyway, you might as well give them something that they want to see!

Stay Current

Employers who are researching you to determine whether or not you are a good fit for their company only have a limited time to find their answers. Your social media profile should be current, accurate, honest, and up-to-date. Schedule routine checks to make sure all of your information is still relevant. Make sure your profiles reflect any significant life changes, such as promotions, moves, or a change in career. By performing these routine social media check-ups, you can confidently apply for jobs without worrying about having to do a complete social media makeover.

A large portion of the Orange County and Los Angeles population is unemployed. If you're part of that percentage, a social media overhaul is a must. After you've cleaned up your social media profile, you may want to step your career search into overdrive by working with an Orange County staffing agency. They can connect you with companies that are hiring that are looking for someone with your exact skill set. With a little bit of patience and a polished social media presence, you can quickly go from unemployed to hired!