Before you have applied for a job – before you have even finished your resume – it’s important to evaluate your online presence. After receiving your resume, over 50% of employers will search Google for your name and information, and what they find will almost always impact your chances of getting the job in some way.

This is especially true of social media. Employers will look at your Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn accounts, looking for warning signs that you may not be right for the role. If they find anything too unprofessional, they may look the other way.

Hiding and Removing Twitter Before Your Job Search

The greatest danger almost always comes from Twitter, where people share almost every thought they have in limited space, and almost always keep their accounts public.

If possible, the safest choice is to shut down your Twitter account completely. You can also consider changing your name on your account so that it is harder for employers to find you, and making your account private so those that find you are unable to read your Tweets.

However, if you would still like to make your account public and your social media is important to you, consider the following:

• Delete All Inappropriate Content – Your old tweets have long since grown stale anyway. Go through your account and delete any content that may be inappropriate or unprofessional. This includes posts about politics and religion which, while not necessarily inappropriate, could cause a biased hiring manager to exclude you from the role. Don’t forget to check your replies and your photos as well for images and Tweets you would not want your boss to see.
• Use a Professional Photo – Change your Twitter profile photo to a professional, business related photo. Hiring managers do look for images of you to see if you look like someone that can be trusted. More professional photos lead to a better first impression, which in turn can help them view your resume in a better light.
• Post Industry Links – If you are applying to only one industry, consider posting about industry news and information. Give the impression that you are genuinely passionate about the field and that you care enough to read and share information about it publicly.
• Share Positive Thoughts Only – No one wants to work with a negative person. If you tend to spend your time on Twitter complaining about life, put a stop to it and focus instead on positive things – observations, quotes, and more. Be someone that you would want to work with – not just in what you post, but also in what you respond to.
• Post Less – Be careful about posting too often, especially if you are currently employed and posting at work. Though rare, some employers are paying attention to whether or not applications are working when they’re supposed to be working, or whether they are on Twitter responding to personal topics.
• Pay Attention to Grammar, Spelling, etc. – Professional is always key, and part of being professional means spelling correctly, using correct grammar, avoiding too many chat
• Abbreviations (lol, SMH, etc.) which are associated with less professionalism. Use language that should impress employers, and won’t cause them to look down on your writing.

Part of applying for jobs is helping hiring managers visualize how you’ll be in the role. There are times when you’ll feel tempted to let the employer “know the real you,” whether it’s by showing up to a job interview in casual outfits and gaudy earrings, using an email to apply to a job instead of a resume, or by leaving your Twitter as is.

Yet while the “real you” is probably a great person, hiring managers have very limited information to use to figure out who to hire. They’re going to hire the person that they can imagine being best for the job, and if they run into someone that appears unprofessional for any reason, it’s easier for them to move on to another candidate than risk hiring that person. Take the time to fix your online presence, including Twitter, and you have a better shot at landing the position

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Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

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Daniel & David

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How to Prepare Your Twitter for Your Job Search