Ready for a Social Media Clean-Up?

by Beth Hendler-Grunt | Jun 4, 2020

Are you a social media-loving grad seeking employment?
Have you documented your teens and twenties with photos on Instagram and Snapchat?
Maybe you are a parent of one of these grads trying to guide them on how to “clean up” their profiles and they refuse to hear your advice.

This is the blog you should share.

Social media can be a key factor in an employer’s decision to hire a young adult. With Google at anyone’s fingertips, hiring managers can find almost anything about a candidate’s current or past. Social media platforms offer the easiest view into a grad’s personal life and interests – the good and the bad. Millennials have the opportunity to have social media accounts to reflect their brand and reflect the person they want the company to hire.

Here are 5 Essential Social Media Tips to create a clean and professional online presence:

1. Search Yourself:

Type your name into several search engines including Google to monitor your online presence. Once you remove any inappropriate items (suggestions below), be aware the search engines may not remove them immediately. Expect that anyone you meet for an interview will be searching for you too.

2. Check Your Privacy Settings:

Make sure privacy and sharing settings are updated with appropriate preferences. Facebook and Instagram should be set to private while you are actively interviewing, and even sometimes while you are on the job depending on your company culture. LinkedIn should be public, as this is one of the first places employers will check a candidate.

3. Professional Presence on LinkedIn:

Make sure your profile is updated completely with a professional picture and your latest work and volunteer experiences. Get tips on how to have the right profile–watch the LinkedIn for College Students Video. Customize your URL and put the link to your profile on your resume.

4. Review Your Content – Past Posts Can Haunt You:

- If you are not sure it should stay up, take it down! – Be aware others who tagged you may need to remove it for you. Asking a parent or mentor for advice here could be valuable – get another perspective.
- Language – delete any explicit language and profanities.
- Drinking or smoking – underage or not…these should definitely not be on the profile pic or in the news feed. Delete those red cup photos now.
- Political Commentary – this is a choice and may depend on what type of job or industry a candidate is seeking work in. A healthy respectful dialogue could be beneficial, however offering up information that may not be relevant for a job leaves you open to be judged on your views.
- Dress/Clothing/College Party Pics – this is personal preference, but be mindful of being judged on lifestyle. We recommend no bikini posts.

5. Value Wins

Posting value-added comments online with links to relevant articles or information can reflect positively. LinkedIn is a great platform for this. Content creation can give insight to employers on how you think and generate ideas.

The bottom line…THINK BEFORE YOU POST OR COMMENT. Even deleted Snapchats cans live on if someone took a screenshot. When in doubt, leave it out. Also, continue to be mindful of your presence once you are in the desired job. Need to share? Keep it private and send a text or email to close friends.

Social Media can be an impactful way for you to brand yourself, but make sure you are representing yourself in the image you want for the next decade going forward. Remember that the hiring practice is often quite subjective and there is no need to give anyone reason to pass you over for presumptions or judgments based on old social media choices. Present the best side of yourself that reflects your values, your skills, and your professionalism. For more tips follow Next Great Step on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Are you a grad who needs help in the job search? If you are ready to land the job and get “unstuck”, hit reply to this message and put “Get Hired” in the subject line. Tell us how we can help. Our Fast-Start Group runs monthly, contact us to find out our next start date. Schedule a Free Consult Call HERE.

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23:11 11 Sep 20

I thought this was a great program for college students preparing for the recruiting season. Going... into this process there is a lot of uncertainty for students attempting to land their dream job. Working with the Next Great Step and their coaches allows students to have the tools and confidence in any type of interview. I would highly recommend this extremely professional team and all around great program.read more

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18:39 23 Aug 20

Next Great Step helped me understand my strengths and how to talk about them in a competent manner.... I had the pleasure of working with Rachel and she gave me valuable knowledge to help me grow professionally and gain more confidence in myself and my abilities. Before I started Next Great Step, I was unsure about my career path and afraid to reach out for help. Now I am prepared to take the necessary steps to advance my career. I cannot thank Rachel and Next Great Step enough for all their guidance!read more

Olivia Sammak

14:20 18 Jul 20

Before starting with Next Great Steps I was at a stand still with my job search. I felt unprepared... for going on interviews. Since working with Next Great Steps, I now feel like I have the skills to confidently go out and interview for jobs. The team at Next Great Steps helped me to improve my resume, make connections on LinkedIn, and prepare me for interviews. They were great to work!read more

Matthew Dressler

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Jacques de Carbonnieres

12:52 29 May 20

Great, caring staff that helps you find your way!

Jason Alexander

00:36 06 Mar 20

This is an engaging and immersive process that helps recent glads learn how to both navigate... looking for a job as well as making themselves appear more attractive to employers. It is taught by people who are very knowledgeable about what current employers are looking for in candidates as well as mistakes that young people often make.read more

George Karkazis

17:48 04 Mar 20

As a recent graduate I didn't know what to expect when starting this program, but Beth and Rachel... blew me away. Their knowledge about this kind of stuff is second to none, and the advice they are able to give is unparalleled. Not only are they great at what they do, but they are also super nice and friendly and it make the entire experience that much better. I would recommend this program/service to anyone!read more

Olivia Olmos

00:21 04 Mar 20

Beth and Rachel gave me the confidence to jumpstart the job application process during my senior... year of college. Their continuous support and encouragement provided me with lifelong tools. I learned valuable professional skills which I will carry with me through my future career.read more

Evan Mester

15:58 20 Dec 19

Before working with NGS, I was struggling with some of the interview related and organizational... aspects of the job search process. In such a competitive job market, young grads like myself must present themselves to potential employers in the best way possible while ALSO meeting an employer's requirements. Working with Beth and the NGS team allowed me to learn the skills and knowledge required in order to put my best foot forward to prospective employers. The advice you learn along the course of this experience is truly invaluable. Highly recommend!read more

Jason silberman

14:10 13 Dec 19

Beth and Rachel really have this down to a T. As a recent graduate, it's really stressful to know... what you want to do and Next Great Step helped with just that. They made me think deep and focus in on what my core skills are and where they can be applied. I recommend this for any recent grad, whether it be 1 year or even 5 years since college.read more

Lyle

08:06 28 Oct 19

I completed the Fast Start Group Coaching program. As a college student who was finding it... difficult to get responses from online job boards, this class was really helpful. Beth and Rachel were very helpful in identifying and helping me fix issues in my networking, resume, and interview skills. I feel like this class was very useful in identifying and fixing many of my issues during the job hunting process and would highly recommend to anyone else in a similar situation.read more

david Weiss

21:07 27 Oct 19

Was a great help in my internship and job search. Really helped me hone in on my skills that best... represented me. They provided lots of help with direct networking, including LinkedIn, as well as resume and cover letter help. I would definitely recommend this program to any college seniors, as well as recent graduates.read more

Gabriela Tanaka

18:30 26 Oct 19

With Next Great Step, I have learned how to communicate effectively about myself, which has given... me confidence in my job search. Beth and Rachel were fantastic to work with and helped me clarify my direction. Thank you so much!read more

Kitty

17:36 26 Oct 19

A nice experience. Beth and Rachel covered different topics, and were very responsive and thorough... after each class as well.read more

Jesse Ethan Levitt

19:26 17 Sep 19

Gives you direction and organized approach to a job search. You will be far more confident when... taking interviews. Overall a great program for starting the right career.read more

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About Next Great Step® in Livingston, NJ

Next Great Step career counseling to college graduates provides strategies guiding students to focus their career path using a proven business approach. Contact us if any of the following are of interest to you: college graduate employment, millennials, new college graduate jobs, college graduates looking for jobs, internships for college students, jobs for college graduates, finding jobs after college.

Career Counseling to College Graduates is available across the US via online video. We are based in the New York metropolitan area. We support clients in all major metropolitan areas including Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, St. Louis, San Francisco, Detroit, Greenwich, Denver & New York City.