Today, as college kids, we put our entire lives on our social media; we feel the need to share every thought, feeling and activity. But when the time comes for us to join the job hunt, our future employers will, without a doubt, search through that social media to get an idea of who we are.
Ranting on social media is never okay, especially if you have professional followers.
Often people advise to have two separate accounts, one personal and one professional, for each social media outlet. But I disagree, partially because I barely have enough time to master one of each channel, let alone two of each.
While I prepare myself for the career world, I’m taking a deep look into my accounts, and deleting what doesn’t need to be seen by my future employers. However where do we draw the line to avoid deleting our whole personalities?
With a little help from College Express, I’ve crafted a short list of the major do’s and don’ts of social media for college students on the job hunt:
DO:
- Show your personality: A page that’s strictly professional is boring. Employers want to see who you really are, as your personality is what makes you different from every other applicant.
- Play with the background and/or cover photo of your page: An original background photo can offer an opportunity to make your profile stand out and show what interests you.
- Be active: Social media is designed to be social! An employer wants to see that you are active on your social media channels and engage with followers.
- Research about how successful people manage their social channels: Start with USA Today’s article and conduct your own research. Knowledge is power.
DON’T:
- Post photos containing alcohol consumption of any kind: While you might think the innocent photo of you and your friends wine tasting is classy, it’s best to just leave out drinking altogether.
- Express your opinions on controversial topics: Your political and religious beliefs can be a huge part of your personality, but unless they relate to your job field, it’s better to stay neutral during the job hunt process.
- Get emotional: Everyone has bad days, but be careful not to get caught up in the moment and share too much. Always keep in mind that even if you delete a post, it still existed, and who knows how many people saw it.
By Gwendolyn Corner, PR Director