Career Advice Series Part 1: How to Manage Your Digital Footprint
Finding the perfect job can be like finding a needle in a
haystack, and with our career advice series we aim to make your job hunt that
little bit easier by taking you through the crucial aspects of how to find and
secure your dream job. In the first part of our series,
we’ll run through key aspects of how to prepare before you even begin your job
search.
How to Manage your Digital Footprint
Ten years ago, a
CV and cover letter would suffice to showcase your skills and abilities to
prospective employers – but in today’s online world, your ‘digital footprint’
can both help and hinder your job hunt.
According to a survey
by CareerBuilder,
a staggering 70% of employers use social media and online search engines to research
job applicants – making sure your online presence shows you in a positive light
is crucial when applying for jobs.
So, what is a ‘digital footprint’?
From your social
media profiles to your blog, or even that bad review you left on TripAdvisor - your
digital footprint is essentially the traces or "footprints" that you
have left online. Given how easy it is to search by using someone’s name or
email address, it’s a good idea to regularly check your online presence before
you even start applying.
It’s important
to understand what employers can see about you and your activities online, and
update your online profiles in order to ensure you’ve left a positive digital
footprint. This is your career we’re talking about, so you have to make sure
you’re doing it right.
How do you manage your digital footprint?
Before
anything, you should start by doing a Google search on your name and email
address and see what comes up in the first few pages. You should also log out
of your social media accounts and then search
for your name and see what can be seen by the public.
If you
live a teetotal lifestyle, are politically neutral, dress well and always have
perfect grammar – then you’re all set! But –
if you’re an average Joe like the rest of us, you might need to do some
damage control. Put yourself in the shoes of a HR Manager or a Recruiter – do
you see anything that you feel will lessen your chances of getting an interview?
Photos of yourself heavily inebriated and wearing inappropriate clothing, statuses
with overly political views, or even posts criticising previous employers are major
red flags, so remove this content or adjust your account settings to make sure that the public will
only see what you want them to see.
Whether
it be Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram, make sure you review your
privacy settings and that everything is set to private so that only your
approved audience can see your posts. It might be worth deleting any images or
posts you feel may be compromising, even if they are set to private – for peace
of mind. You never know who might be connected to an approved audience member
of your profile.
Once you
have the basics covered, including accuracy with spelling and grammar in your
profiles and posts, and updated key information about you, your contact
details and current or past work history, make sure you follow these guidelines
to ensure best practice going forward:
1. Operate under the assumption that nothing is private on the
internet
o
Ensure
that the language you use in your digital profiles and online posts are
professional, and appropriate for a future boss or colleague to read. Be
consistent, truthful and factual – there’s nothing worse than being caught in a
lie.
2.
Get a second opinion on
your profile
o
Ask
a friend or colleague to look at your profile, including looking at your
profile picture – would they recruit you based on it? If not, ask for honest
feedback and make adjustments.
3. Be aware of what other people are saying about you
o
You
can’t control other people’s privacy settings so whatever they tag or mention
you on could easily be seen by anyone. You can enable approval rights when you’re
tagged in other people’s posts or photos, so they don’t automatically appear on
your timeline unless you’ve reviewed and approved them.
4.
Close down accounts you
don’t need
o
Is
your old Bebo account from the Noughties still open? You may have to face some
cringeworthy content from your teens whilst closing your old accounts, but
there’s no point having it visible if it’s not up to date and not reflective of
you as the person you've grown to be.
5.
Privacy for blogging
o
If
you write a personal blog that you’d rather keep private, it might be a good
idea to do it anonymously. There are a number of options available that will
allow you to express yourself without damaging your future prospects. You can
use an anonymous email account such as Hush, which will provide an encrypted
email account to register your blog. An anonymous domain name is also good
place to start and you can still let your friends and family know, but this way
it still keeps it anonymous to the public.
Once you finish adjusting your online settings
to ensure you have a digital footprint that won’t impact your job hunt, the
next step is making sure you have the perfect CV, which happens to be the next
instalment in our series. So check back next week to ensure you make your
career fly in 2018!
For the latest jobs, employment news and career
advice, make sure to follow social media channels:
- Twitter
- Facebook
Published date: March 2018