When you are applying for a job, employers will check your online profile to:
- confirm that what you’ve said about yourself in your application fits what you show online
- understand your interests, abilities and attitude to life
- find out if you have an existing network of professional contacts.
Using social media in a positive and constructive way can actually help you get a job. Your passion for a good cause, your love of music or your entertaining blog all say something about you and what you have to offer.
How to protect your online profile
Its up to you to decide how engaged you want to be with social media and professional networking sites (such as LinkedIn). However, regardless of how you use them, you must prevent damage to your online reputation.
If you are sharing personal information online:
- double-check the privacy settings on all your platforms. This will make sure you're not sharing information you don’t want an employer to see.
- balance the content. Don’t panic if some content you don’t like ends up in the public domain. If you can’t remove the content, balance it out with other more positive and professional online information about you.
For information on managing your privacy and showing respect to others online, visit the Australian Government’s e-Safety website.
Tip: LinkedIn is a professional networking site not a social media site.
