When an employer is trying to learn more about an applicant, they often don’t shy away from going the extra mile to dig deeper. A quick Google search for your name, and a strong search through social media platforms can reveal a lot about who you are professionally and outside of work.

With this being said, your social media profiles may need some polishing. We wanted to share our tips for doing a social media ‘sweep’ and ensuring your put your best YOU forward while you’re in the process of applying for a new job.

LinkedIn
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, now is a good time to create one. LinkedIn is one of the best places to network, find a job and for employers to seek out an at-a-glance look at your professional experience.

Here are some things you should consider about your LinkedIn profile:

1. Your Profile Photo
While it’s not necessary to hire a professional photographer to take a headshot (although, if you can – that’s amazing) your photo should look professional. Selfies, cropped photos from group shots or photos of you in questionable situations (ahem, a bar) are a big no-no. If you don’t know someone with a professional camera, a new smart phone can give you the quality you need. Ask a friend to help you get the winning shot.

2. Your Headline
Often times people make the mistake of putting their job title in this field, but your headline is a powerful search opportunity and a way to identify what you’re looking for. Trying to get a job in digital marketing? You could create a headline that reads “Junior Digital Marketer Seeking An Opportunity At An Awesome Agency”. Use this space to show employers EXACTLY what you want. If you’re feeling not so creative, do a search in your area of interest and see what others are including in their headlines on LinkedIn.

3. Your Summary
Don’t even think about skipping or skimping on this field. Think of this as a more personal and generic cover letter. Who are you, what do you do, what you want to do and go ahead and do a little bragging – any achievements can be listed here as well. Again, it’s always good to check out what others in your area of interest to see what they are including for their’s, but be sure to make it relevant to your experience and personality.

4. Your Experience
Depending where you are in your career, not EVERY job you worked is important to include. If you have 4 years of work experience post-grad, you probably don’t need to include your summer job from university. Keep your experiences relevant.

5. Recommendations
Your employer may ask you for references provided by previous employers, including bosses and directors. But having recommendations from former colleagues and managers on your LinkedIn profile can be an added bonus. The best way to get these is to reach out to former colleagues personally and ask for a written recommendation on LinkedIn. These can be really helpful for an employer who is searching you after receiving your resume, or even recruiters and other employers seeking at individuals to fill a specific job.

Other Social Media
If you have any photos on your social media that may jeopardize your chance of getting a job, it’s best to make your social media profiles private while you are seeking a new job. However, remember that your profile photo, descriptions and links are visible, so you should update those accordingly as well. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook can easily be found with a simple search so if your profiles are public, you will want to ensure that they are a good professional representation of who you are.