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Clean Up Your Digital Footprint: 5 Steps for Job Seekers

clean up your digital footprint

Searching for work? It’s time to clean up your digital footprint.

Here’s why:

Social media is a great for connecting with employers. It can put you in front of hiring managers faster than emailing a resume.

But it also gives companies and staffing agencies an easy way to learn more about you. All it takes is a quick google search to bring up your social media profiles, related photos, videos and more.

Will employers like what they see?

Here’s a foolproof plan for fixing your digital footprint and making sure it stays clean.

Google Yourself

Google is the gateway to your online presence. Use the search results to see what accounts you have out there (especially ones you forgot about). In addition to social media profiles, look for photo and video sharing sites, forums, blogs, and anything tied to your name.

Once you’ve taken inventory of your footprint, it’s time to dive deeper.

Audit Your Accounts

First, delete or deactivate any accounts you no longer use.

Does that 2004 MySpace Account (you didn’t even know was still there) reflect who you are today? Probably not, so don’t give employers a chance to view it.

Did your search results return multiple LinkedIn profiles? That can be confusing to hiring managers. Luckily, there’s an easy way to merge them.

Once you’ve deleted inactive accounts, it’s time to clean up the ones you currently use. Go through them and remove potentially embarrassing or offensive content. Assume that anything you’ve posted online is visible to hiring managers. Even if the posts are old. This includes comments on other people’s posts as well.

Keep Your Profile Pic Professional

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what words come to mind when employers look at your profile photo? Personable, responsible, and hirable? Or insatiable party animal?

If your photo doesn’t capture you at your best, now’s the time to change it.

The good news is you don’t need to hire a headshot photographer to get the perfect pic. A simple selfie can work great. Just be yourself, keep the background clutter free, and smile genuinely.

Use Social Handles That Help, Not Hurt Your Job Search

Question: What is wrong with the following social media handles?

@Liv4beer, @2Sexy4U@, and @cheeto_head

Answer: Everything (if you’re trying to impress employers)

Before you DM an employer on Instagram, or any other social channel, make sure your handle is appropriate. Your name is always a good starting point!

Moving Forward

Now that your digital presence is pristine, follow these steps to keep it that way:

  • Think before you post. Always ask yourself, “If this something I might regret later on.”
  • Be kind (a good rule to follow whether you’re online or not)
  • Consider making your social media accounts private

We hope these job seeker tips help you in your job search. If you’re interested in housekeeping jobs and hospitality jobs with weekly pay, health benefits, bonuses, and more, apply with Heart of the House today.