Saturday, September 25, 2010

Prepare Your Facebook for Visitors

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 25:  In this photo ill...Image by Getty Images via @daylifeOne of the key things employers look at before hiring or sometimes even considering to interview you is your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and any other form of social networking site you use on a daily basis.  The trick to keep these pages active is to clean them up and use them just like any company or organization would, to market yourself.  Look at these pages as advertisements for you! 
Market Yourself: Always fill out the information about yourself, but remember to keep the important information somewhat confidential (full name, address, etc.).  This will help keep you safe from identity theft, creepy stalkers and those you don’t want to find you online.   
Be smart about your photos: If you’re over the age of twenty-one having a beer in your hand while smiling with your friends isn’t going to portray a negative image, however a photo of you falling over at bar with puke spilling out of your mouth is. Monitor the photo’s you upload and are tagged in.   
Be smart about what you write:  Whether it is a comment on a status, tweet or wall post be aware that everyone can read it!  While in an interview for an internship last year with a public relations firm, my interviewee pointed out to me that employers are digging deep into our sites and monitoring what potential employees are writing on others walls beyond. 
Set your security to HIGH: Facebook is constantly changing the security protocol of their site, so it is important to check your settings out every once in a while.  Go in depth to check who can see your posts, wall, information, groups, photo albums and etc. 
While these items may seem tedious and unnecessary they definitely are important to your success at landing that first job.  Remember to utilize your page to make you stand out, stay informed and connect with professionals and past colleges.   

Posted by: Taylor Ray
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