Online job seekers need profile cleanups, but college grads need it even more
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Recent college grads are up against the toughest job market seen in a generation. As much as the job outlook can make things difficult for job seekers, there is one area where grads need to make sure doesn’t impede them in their quest for work. And that would be social media.
Younger people tend to say what is on their minds without regard to what other people think. That may work when you’re being anonymous, but if your online profile syncs with who you really are, then you have a problem that must be dealt with.
Businesses today have caught on to what the Internet is all about and are employing sophisticated methods to gather information about job candidates through the internet. Damaging details related to your political life, religion, community activities, etc. can short-circuit your job search, in most cases without you ever learning the reasons why no job was offered. You never know who's reading about you on facebook, twitter, linkedin, why not be prepared? When job searching online as a college grad you must also be ready to have your online profile ready, clean, and essentially fit to be employed.
7 Steps To Repairing Your Online Image
1. Clean Up Your Profiles
Your online profile tells readers something about you. Trouble is, some of the information you share could be held against you. Make a point to visit your favorite social media sites to see if anything untoward needs to be removed.
2. Use A Professional Email Address
Hotmail, Gmail and Yahoo each make for very good free mail sites, but it is often the choice of email address that causes problems. Several years back I posted a resume online for a young woman, but not before I told her to use a different email address besides her oh-so-sexy-lips AT hermail.com address.
3. Update Your Photographs
Avatars are fine as long as they aren’t unprofessional. But unprofessional photographs can sink you too. If you’re looking for work, then have the photograph that best represents who you are online. You may look fine in a bikini, but you won’t be wearing that “suit” to the office!
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