Job hunting? Delete these 4 things from your social media

Kirstie McDermott for JobbioPublished Jul 18, 2024, 8:00am

Funny Woman in Shock Reading Text Message on her Phone — Don’t let your social media get in the way of a great job (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Your current leading ambition may be to have a Brat Summer, thanks to the viral effect of Charli XCX’s new album, Brat, and the associated neon green trend it has spawned thanks to the instantly recognisable cover art.

It’s proven so popular that shopping platform Lyst has reported on Instagram that searches for items in ‘slime green’ rose by 17% in the two weeks before July 4.

Anything goes with the Brat Summer trend, according to the singer. From jetting about on a speedboat, ‘It can go that way — quite like luxury,’ she says, ‘but it can also be so trashy, just like a pack of cigs and a BIC lighter and a strappy white top with no bra.’

And of course, there is simply no point in having a Brat Summer if you don’t document it in minute detail across your social media feeds. If your Instagram or TikTok isn’t filled with sunshine-lit images of you having your messiest, most carefree time ever, you’re doing it wrong.

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However, there may be a bit of a downside to being your most authentic Brat self online. According to a 2023 report, over 90% of employers will check a potential candidate’s social media profiles as standard during the hiring process.

Even worse, 21% have actually rejected someone after checking out one of their social profiles.

So why do employers do this? It’s simple really: by checking out your feeds, a hiring manager or recruiter can get a sense of who you really are, beyond the education, skills and abilities that are listed on your CV.

Employers are looking for how well you’ll fit into the company’s culture: do you have a similar mindset, and are your values and outlook aligned with theirs?

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It turns out that unsurprisingly, social media can reveal a lot about your social behaviour, from the memes you repost to the political causes you support, to the off-the-cuff jokes you might tweet.

And it can get you into trouble, even when you have a job in the bag. Consider the infamous case of senior director of corporate communications at IAC, Justine Sacco, who, in 2013 en route to Cape Town, tweeted: ‘Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!’

Sacco’s tweet was the number one trending topic in the world by the time she landed 11 hours later, and led to her immediate cancellation.

More recently, Israeli tech firm Wix fired employee Courtney Carey for posting comments online in support of Palestine.

According to the BBC, if you’re younger, you’re more likely to fall foul of your own social profiles. It found that one in 10 job seekers between the ages of 16 and 34 have been rejected for a job because of something they’d posted online.

Most of these issues tend to be around reputational damage: for example, a potential boss sees a photo of you drunk (or worse) on a night out, and decides you’re simply not a great bet.

woman using a phone. — Don’t fail the social media check (Picture: Getty Images)

So how can you get the job you really want, without failing the social media background check?

Delete all those ‘I hate my job’ memes

We all enjoy a meme or five about workplace cliches. They’re funny and super-shareable precisely because a lot of them have a grain of truth. From ones about bad bosses to long boring workdays, online shopping during meetings or calling in sick, it’s tempting to share or retweet workplace memes.

Consider though, how it might appear to a prospective employer. They might have cause to question your work ethic as you post your fifth meme of the day which states, ‘me arriving at work for another day of my job’ accompanied by an image of someone sobbing – and you can kind of see their point.

Delete the party pictures

Or at the very least, tweak your privacy settings and limit your content to close friends only.

While your pals are probably only too happy to see messy night out pics and all those shots you took at your friend’s hen party in Ibiza, prospective and current employers need a bit of shielding from the full reality of what your weekends entail. It is absolutely fine to limit your manager, and even your colleagues, to the basics of your social feeds.

Delete inappropriate content from your profiles

While you’re at it, don’t forget to delete anything inappropriate from your actual profile description and accompanying picture. It’s easy to forget, but it will be the first thing that comes up in a search for your name.

Make sure your profile picture is sanitised for a general audience, and check your bio as well. If it says ‘Party Prince$$’, maybe finesse that a little.

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Delete non-appropriate content off your professional network

It’s tempting to use LinkedIn as a sort of all-in platform for oversharing: after all, lots of other people leverage their public lives – and even divorces – for professional clout, so why shouldn’t you?

Instead of using the site to brag about your five to nine and showcase performative busy-ness, use it to share content around your areas of expertise, to co-promote your colleague’s successes and to share some of your own wins. This will show a prospective employer that you’re engaged in what you do, you’re a team player – and that you’re also great at your job.