Social
networking profiles are often the first glimpse the hiring manager will get of
a potential candidate. Don’t let
the employer’s first glimpse of your online persona leave a bad
impression. Below are a few tips
on what you can do to make your social networking profiles shine.
- Always
choose a professional looking picture.
Even on your private profiles such as a Facebook account for family and
friends, those searching the internet can find the initial page which has your
profile picture. That picture
should look professional. You
don’t need to have picture of you wearing business attire, unless you are using
Facebook for business but the picture should not be too casual (i.e. a photo of
you drinking or in a bathing suit).
- Always
complete your profile. Incomplete profiles can send the wrong message to
employers. Take the time to
complete your profile on any social networking site you belong to or remove
yourself completely if you can’t find the time or energy to complete your
profile. No profile is better than an incomplete profile.
- Treat
your social networking profile as an extension of your resume or cover
letter. With that in mind, take
care to use spell check, use proper grammar and use the space to sell yourself
as a job candidate.
- Your
profile should also include some glowing comments from former employers. LinkedIn has a great tool that allows
users to rate a person they have worked with in the past; make sure you use
that tool to your advantage.