How to make your social media profile more professional

We’ve all had our moments, whether it’s old drunken pictures from your college days or inappropriate trash talk about your current boss, social media can make or break your chances of landing yourself a dream job.

Here at Onlinejobs.ph, you are required to connect your Facebook account in order to create an account. This is an added security feature we have implemented so we know 1) you’re a real person and 2) you’re a Filipino worker.

This means employers can see your Facebook account should they choose to. In fact, hiring managers, more often than not, actually do research and look up candidates on social media. In fact, according to CareerBuilder, 7 out of 10 employers do research on candidates’ social media networks when looking for someone to hire. Not only that, but nearly half of them also do regular check-ups on current employees.

This gives them a snapshot of your life and your previous experience. It’s a way to see if you are a good fit for the company’s culture. This is why you should be concerned about how your Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram profiles paint your life to strangers.

With that said, you don’t want to delete your accounts. You’re entitled to a life outside of your job. Besides, in this day and age, it’s almost suspicious if people can’t find you online.
So, before even applying for a job — whether online or in an office — you just need to take some time to make your accounts a little more employer-friendly. How? I’ve got the details for you right here.

Go through your photos and videos

We love to flaunt on social media, but maybe a few dozen vacation photos are more than enough. Letting loose and showing off is normal. But broadcasting everything to the world via social media won’t always paint you in the best light. Especially if you have friends who like to take pictures of you at your worst.

Untag yourself from the unfavorable photos and videos if you can. Also, adjust your privacy settings on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter so you’ll have to accept someone’s request before they can tag you on anything.
This goes with your profile too. Keep your profile private so you can choose what to show to people you’re not connected to, and they have to ask for your blessing before they can see anything.

Delete offensive posts

Social media is an outlet. We have With Freedom of Speech. Who says what you can and can’t post on your very own space on the internet, right?

But as an online worker, whether job hunting or not, you should learn to censor yourself a bit. You’ll never know who you might offend if you post something very controversial. You want to put your best foot forward and show off a more polished version of who you are. It’s hard to do that if your social media profile paints you as someone different.

If you want to show your best, what can you post?

Keep this tip in mind: will you feel ashamed if your Lola saw what you’re posting on your social media? If the answer is yes, you probably shouldn’t post it at all.

Mind your profile picture

Now that you’ve adjusted your privacy settings and cleaned up your posts, time to turn your attention to your profile picture.

Avoid posting images of you doing anything inappropriate. Emphasis on appropriate. It’s appropriate for models to have a swimsuit photo of themselves in their profile. That’s how they market themselves as models. If you want to be taken seriously as a professional virtual assistant, go for something that’s more appropriate.

That’s it. Everything else is fine. For example, profile pictures of you with a partner will show a caring side. While one with friends suggests that you’re sociable.

Use correct grammar

Making a few spelling or grammar mistakes are okay, especially if you’re using your phone or rushing to make a post. But making these mistakes too often just makes you look lazy.

It takes just a moment to re-read what you’ve written, and make sure you’ve used the correct spelling and grammar.

This will make you look more professional. It makes your opinions sound legitimate more valid. Employers will see a level of care you put in making sure that you used correct business English.

Don’t be too opinionated

Cleaning up your social media profiles doesn’t mean you have to be boring. It’s okay to have an opinion. But if you want to be professional, it’s better to stay away from online feuds.

You and your friends might think your savage burns and f-bombs make you look cool but some might find them obnoxious. If there’s a chance it can offend someone, keep them to yourself. What about those endless complaining posts about how much you hate your job? Definitely, don’t post that.

If you have nothing good to say and you’re just posting attacks (whether against a person, an organization or an ideology), just stop and don’t say anything at all. And avoid sharing anything that aren’t necessarily based on facts. They’re called fake news for a reason.

Lastly, LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile is more important than ever now because LinkedIn has become a reliable place for finding professionals, influencers, prospects, partners and new talent.
The same social media tips apply for your LinkedIn profile. But to make it more professional, it needs more work than just choosing a dapper photo.

Here are tips on how to make your LinkedIn profile attractive to employers:

• Choose a background picture that says something meaningful about you, too. I recommend doing this on Canva as they have the exact size you’ll need.
• Write a classy headline and summary. Describe what you do in your summary — be creative and original.
• Keep your summary short and sweet. You’d also need to revisit and modify it regularly to make sure it’s accurate and updated. The summary section lets you add documents, images, videos, and even links, so make sure to add relevant items that show off your finest work.
• You don’t need to list all your previous jobs unless they’re significant to your current gig. Focus on experiences that put your professional credentials in a positive light.
• Remember to update. Update your current position. If you’ve received a promotion, won an award, published an article or are involved in an interesting project, add that to your profile.
• Add whatever notable skills, certification or abilities you have, and ask your friends and colleagues to recommend you. Keep this in mind: When it comes to LinkedIn Skills, it’s better to list a few and gain endorsements on those, than to list a lot of unendorsed skills.
• Whenever you learn a new skill, especially if it’s relevant to you professionally, update. And delete skills that are not relevant to your career interests anymore.
• Remain active. Post articles that are relevant to your job or career. Employers continue to check your profile even after you’re hired, so continue using your LinkedIn, and reference the job you have now.

Let’s wrap it up

This might be a lot to take in. And yes, it’s a chore. But by following these tips, your social media can be a platform for you to share moments with your friends and loved ones online, without destroying your chances of getting hired.

Also, while in between jobs, look for what you can do to improve yourself. Take online classes, get certified in something, or learn a new skill! Make yourself as well-rounded as you can. When you do, go ahead and mention that on your social media.

The key is not to reveal that would give people a bad impression of you. Maintain some privacy. Avoid posting anything inappropriate. Remember that your social media is part of your first impression. Don’t let employers see you in a bad light even before they had the chance to see your great qualities.

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About Charlyne Lizette
Charlyne has been dipping her feet on online work since 2011 and has just recently dived in, leaving her full-time office job in the process.

A writer and an all-around VA. She has now found her home at OnlineJobs.ph.

Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.