Have you considered that future employers may check you out on Facebook or Twitter? It happens a lot. I have done it myself. Potential employers can tell a lot about you - good or bad - from your Social Media profile.

Let’s have a look at what you might be able to do to help clean things up.

Don’t forget that hiring managers who look at social media may look at what you post as a reflection of the type of person you are. Not just the obscenities or rude pictures, but down to the grammar and spelling of your posts. Thinking with Brexit in mind, do you frequently go on political rants? Do you criticise others for their opinions? It might be worth taking a look back at your recent posts but with a professional head on! J

Take a look at your photos. You want to look like a nice person, a family person, certainly a professional - so pictures with the family or a professional head shot is a must. Have you got pictures of you and your mates out on a drunken night with your trousers down or maybe a traffic cone on your head (its illegal you know J ). It would be well worth considering deleting these from your profiles.

If you have been tagged in any questionable photos it might also be worth un-tagging yourself.

Choose a professional photo as your profile picture. Especially for LinkedIn purposes. A head shot is ideal.

Whilst you are deleting your old posts and photos take a look for posts that you may have mentioned previous employment or employers. Hiring managers would hate to see you bad mouthing previous employers or colleagues. But even looking on a positive let’s say you have been working on a project and shared it all over social media, some companies like a bit of confidentiality, it’s a tricky business!

Focusing on Facebook for a minute, if like me you have been on Facebook for what seems a lifetime there might be some personal parts that you haven’t updated in a long time. Update your info, delete anything questionable and create more of an accurate picture of who you are. Look especially at the section ‘About Me’.

LinkedIn. Most future employers will look for you there, maybe to double check that the info on there matches that of your CV. Update it with a current professional picture, it is well worth spending some time getting this right. Update all information so it is current. This might not be your social media platform of choice, however it is for a lot of business professionals.

Twitter, keep it interesting. If you use social media - especially Twitters 140 characters - to rant and moan, consider what future employers might think?

Not all future managers will look at the social media but let’s say that they do and they are the hiring manager of your dream job. You miss out just because you went out on a drunken night with a traffic cone on your head shouting about your views on Brexit and moaning about how much your past employer had hygiene issues and then plastered that all over Facebook… I may just stop you getting to the next step on the ladder or that job you have always wanted.

It’s not all bad though, hiring managers might like your motivational posts, especially if you’re going into management. They might like to see that you are a family orientated person. They will love to see that you are a happy employable person.

If you would like me to cast a professional eye over your Social Media email me at cale@rsegroup.agency