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How To Prepare Your Social Media For The Job Search

A young professional takes a selfie of herself for her social media accounts.
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You've identified an amazing job opportunity and decided to apply for it. Your resume has been updated and the cover letter is written, everything seems to be in order.

Wait! Are you forgetting something?


Depending on how active you are on social media, you may want to take some time to review your activity.

While you should always be aware of what your social media accounts look like, the job search process in particular is a great time to step back and review all your prior posts, and rethink your social media strategy altogether.

Here are some reason why your social media accounts should always be job search ready:

Employers Look At Social Media Accounts

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Did you get into a political argument on Twitter? Rant about a former colleague or job on Facebook? These are all posts that you'll want to go back and get rid of because they could scare off potential employers.

The best way to keep your social media clean is to not engage in such conduct in the first place. Sure, you can keep your accounts private, but friends, family, and acquaintances can still screenshot posts and make them public.

Your social media accounts are a reflection of you. Being unprofessional or getting enraged in political fights may be a red flag to potential employers that may get the impression you don't work well with others.

LinkedIn Can Work To Your Advantage

It's also important to remember that social media can work to your advantage.

Recruiters use LinkedIn quite often to find people to fill open positions, and some companies will have job seekers apply for open positions with their LinkedIn profiles. A well put together LinkedIn page could put you on the radar of recruiters and help you build a strong professional network.

However, if you're not giving your LinkedIn profile the attention it deserves, you're not only potentially missing on new job opportunities, but employers may not take you seriously.

Social Media Allows You To Express Yourself

Young professional smiles after reading a social media post.

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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube can also be used to post relevant content about your industry and place of employment. Whether it's sharing content or creating content, it's an opportunity to share your interests and knowledge with a large audience. Doing so can show potential employers that you are engaged in whatever you are involved in.

There's also nothing wrong with having a little fun on social media and showing a human side. If you're happy your favorite team won or disappointed about that movie everyone is talking about, express yourself. It's also okay to talk about community service or accomplishments that you have achieved.

Your social media accounts are an extension of yourself. When you post, think about how you want to be perceived, not only by friends, family, and acquaintances, but also by potential employers.


Now that you have cleaned up your social media accounts, let's work on your cover letter! Check out Work It Daily's FREE Cover Letter Samples.

If you're looking for more assistance, join Work It Daily today!

Work It Daily has a team of trained career support specialists that will work individually with you to come up with a specialized plan. All of our memberships offer private coaching along with unlimited networking potential, and a library of exclusive career courses. Additionally, and for no extra cost, you'll also receive unlimited resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile reviews by our trained specialists as part of our membership.

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