The Do's And Don'ts of Social Media

1. WHAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR, AND TIPS TO
MAKE SURE YOURS IS EMPLOYER READY
SOCIAL MEDIA
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT MORE THAN 60 PERCENT OF EMPLOYERS TURN TO
SOCIAL MEDIA WHEN CONSIDERING JOB APPLICANTS. GRADUATE STUDENTS NEED
TO KNOW WHAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING FOR AND HOW TO MAKE THEIR SOCIAL
MEDIA ACCOUNTS HELP THEM — RATHER THAN HURT THEM — SECURE A JOB.
LINKEDIN
The go-to site for employers
Employers look for a professional
profile that conveys strong
character, competence,
and creativity.
• Add detailed work history
and thoughtful career goals to
your profile
• Include strong recommendations
• Follow companies you’re
interested in working for
• Join groups in industries of
interest
• Link to your online portfolio
in your profile
• Add rewards/honors in your
profile
• Mention volunteer activity and
charitable donations
• Post links to informative
business articles
• Use a professional headshot
in your profile
• Avoid unexplained gaps in your
work history
• Do not lie in your profile
• Exclude plagiarized content
or profanity
• Avoid spelling/grammar errors
FACEBOOK
Employers know Facebook is
mainly a personal site, but you
should never post anything
you wouldn’t want an employer
to see.
• Add details about work and
education to your profile
• Post about a wide range of
interests
• Post to showcase your creativity
• Set privacy settings that limit
what the public can see
• Avoid bad-mouthing or
complaining
• Remove any compromising
tags/ comments from others
• Exclude party photos, profanity,
or references to illegal activities
or lewd commentary
• Avoid spelling/grammar errors
or texting language
TWITTER
Employers look at Twitter to gain
insight into your professional
and personal attitudes. Twitter
can get heated — always take
the high road.
• Use a professional screen name
• Tweet about industries of
interest
• Tweet thoughtfully about
business topics
• Follow companies in industries
you’re interested in
• Follow companies you’re
interested in working for
• Include a professional bio
• Link to your online portfolio in
your bio
• Follow the same rules as
Facebook about excluding
compromising tweets
• Avoid tweeting too much
• Avoid spelling/grammar errors
or texting language
www.stevenson.edu/online