On the Job

Inappropriately conducting yourself on social media can seriously affect your professional life.
However, if you take these steps to ensure your online etiquette is in order, it will increase your chances of getting hired. As your career partner for life, we like to offer our advice to ensure your best options for success.

Profile photos.

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make, when it comes to their social media is having an account which makes you look unprofessional. Your profile photo and heading are the first impressions people make of you, so select a profile shot which shows you in your best light – particularly on Linkedin. Choose a photo which is clear to see, using no filters and shows all your face.
If there is an option for a header image, select on which best represents you, or your profession. Below are the optimum dimensions to ensure your photos are not pixelated. Set up your pictures as so:

• Facebook profile picture: 170 X 170 pixels
• Facebook cover photo: 828 X 465 pixels
• Twitter profile photo: 400 X 400 pixels
• Twitter header image: 1,500 X 500 pixels
• Google+ profile picture: 250 X 250 pixels (minimum)
• Google+ cover photo: 1080 X 608 pixels
• LinkedIn profile photo: 400 X 400 pixels (minimum)
• LinkedIn custom background: 1584 X 396
• LinkedIn cover photo: 974 X 330 pixels
• LinkedIn banner image: 646 X 220 pixels
• Instagram profile picture: 110 X 110 pixels
• Pinterest profile picture: 150 X 150 pixels
• YouTube profile picture: 800 X 800 pixels
• YouTube cover photo: 2,560 X 1,440 pixels on desktop

Privacy settings.

This can often be overlooked, so it is important to double check which information you are sharing. Many social media accounts offer a viewer feature to show how your profile appears to others.
If you value your privacy, it may be worth keeping some information hidden – for safety purposes and for basic etiquette.
Linkedin offers a tailored setting to only showcase parts of your profile you’d like people outside of your connections to see.
This includes work history, current employment, name and even profile photo.

If you are looking for work, it is wise to display your full name and profile photo at least. You can show work history, to give them an idea of your skills, but it is worth noting in your profile that they should connect with you if they are looking to build their network.
If you are keen to build your network and add people in your field of profession, be sure to add a personal note with your connection request.

Links to other social accounts.

Providing links to your other accounts lets you build your following across many platforms – just make sure you use consistent handles and test your links to ensure they lead people to active links. 
Building your network this way will keep you in the loop with new opportunities.

Presentation.

Untag yourself from inappropriate photos and posts – you do not want any embarrassing moments to pop up and interfere with your professional life!
Double check you are using correct spelling and grammar in your profiles. Nothing is more disappointing when you are trying to sell yourself professionally and your ‘About Me’ section is riddled with mistakes.
Make yourself discoverable in a search, by using the right key words relating to your profession, in your profile.

We talk a bit more about how to use your social media profile to boost productivity in our article here.