You Can’t Erase the Internet

How many of you have said something on your Facebook or Twitter that you later realized didn’t portray your best image online?  Whether it was something about your job or about your boyfriend, we’ve all thought of ranting about something on our status updates.  But before you tweet about your latest breakup, take a moment to think about what an employer would think if he or she took a look at your Twitter page. 

At last night’s “Keeping it Real…Professional on Social Media” event, students learned all about what employers are looking for when it comes to prospective employees’ or interns’ online images.

These are the top 3 things our four panelists agreed on:

1.  “The internet is in ink, not in pencil.”  In other words, whatever you or someone else puts on the internet stays on the internet. The internet isn’t Las Vegas, and what happens there doesn’t always stay there.  Just because you remove a photo or a status update doesn’t mean it’s gone forever.  Someone could have already taken a screenshot of that tweet or saved that photo.  Always be safe by only posting pictures or updates that you are okay with employers seeing.

2.  “Facebook is the people I know.  Twitter is the people I want to know.”  Follow people on Twitter who inspire you or who are at companies or in an industry you want to work in.  You can make great connections on Twitter that you might not be able to make in the real world. 

3.  “LinkedIn is a living, breathing resume of yourself.”  Make sure that your LinkedIn profile reflects everything that you do and what you are all about.  Keep it updated with your volunteer work, your internship experience, and your work within student organizations.  Join groups on LinkedIn to become more involved in your field.  The more complete your profile on LinkedIn, the better.

If you want more information on how to effectively use LinkedIn in your job or internship search, check out “The Insider’s Guide to LinkedIn” next Tuesday at 6:30 pm in the Student Center Plaza Rooms. Lindsay Pollak, Global LinkedIn expert and author of “Getting from College to Career”, will be here to share her insider secrets on using the social media site. 

Also, “like” us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter (@HofstraCareer) for chances to win Amazon and iTunes gift cards for answering social media trivia questions throughout the month of March!

We look forward to seeing you next Tuesday night! 

 ~Stacie Mitchell, Career Center Intern