One negative social media mention can send your reputation down the drain really quick.
In order to not taint your image online, it’s best to take advice from experts to know what you should keep doing, or start doing, and what to stop doing immediately.
Rona Borre is the guru you need to know! This CEO and Founder of staffing agency, Instant Alliance, has curated a list of the top tips to follow to enhance your social media pages.
Rona created a list of 3 DO’S and 3 DON’TS to maintaining your reputation on social media.
1. DO: Get recommendations from previous co-workers and managers.
These recommendations will build the credibility of your LinkedIn profile and provide fodder for your claimed skillset. I recommend asking for recommendations soon after you transition out of the position. By taking this action, your strengths and skills are top-of-mind for the people who will be writing about you.
2. DO: Engage with and share articles or news relevant to your industry.
Hiring managers want someone who is smart and capable, but most importantly, they want someone who is passionate about their industry. Showing that you are aware of what is going on in your industry will give you a leg-up on others applying for the same job. This can be as simple as sharing an article; you don’t need to be writing your own blog posts.
3. DO: Remove old photos.
No potential employer wants to Google you and find that photo of you funneling beer at a tailgate in college. It may have been cool then, but it is definitely not cool now. A single photo like this could cost you the job before you even get an interview!
4. DON’T: Badmouth brands or previous employers.
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I don’t care if your flight was delayed or your boss was a jerk. You never know how people and brands are connected. That airline may be the largest corporate sponsor of the non-profit you’re applying to for a job. If you’re venting in a public forum about a manager, it makes people question your professionalism, judgment, and composure.
5. DON’T: Connect with everyone who sends you a LinkedIn request.
Obviously, it’s great to build and maintain a large online network, but I’ve gotten some pretty sketchy requests (even on LinkedIn). Once you connect with someone, they are a reflection of you. Anything they do or say online can have an impact on your presence. I recommend only accepting requests from people you know or who were referred to you by someone you know.
6. DON’T: Get political.
Look, we live in a complicated political climate these days. Everyone has opinions and feels the need to express them, but you never know who your hiring manager will be. If you feel the need to express yourself on Facebook or Twitter, please change your privacy settings accordingly.
Rona Borre is a pro at networking and building relationships. Her ability to earn and maintain the trust of her clients led her to start strategic staffing firm Instant Alliance in 2001. Over the last 18 years, Instant Alliance has grown into one of Chicago’s most trusted sources for tech and finance talent. Well-known names like Walgreens, Allstate and McDonald’s trust Rona and her team to “get the job done.”