Tools to Maintain a Professional Social Media Presence

Using social media seems to be a Catch-22: If you have a well-designed profile on LinkedIn or Facebook, the employer may look more highly upon you, however, if you have one bad image, a comment that may seem offensive (religious, political), or even if you join the wrong group, the employer may base his/her hiring decision on that (SmartBlog on Leadership).

What does this mean for you? It is important to maintain a professional online presence. You never know who will be Googling your name or searching for you on Facebook/LinkedIn (students, students' parents, prospective students, employers). Here are some tools to help you build a clean online presence:

• PhotoBox! - iPhone app that allows you to untag yourself from multiple Facebook images at once
• Reppler - A free tool that scans your Facebook profile for inappropriate content, privacy and security risks, and gives you an overview of your networks
• BrandYourself - type in your full name and see how you rank in the Google search results

Additional Readings:

• 6 Tips to Clean Up Your Social Media Profile
• Your Social Media Spring Cleanup Checklist for 2012
• How to Look Good When the Recruiter Googles You
• Learn LinkedIn: How to Build Your Living Resume
• Boost Your Career with Social Media: Tips for the Unitiated

Also, stay tuned for the "Web 2.0: Building a Digital Reputation and Finding a Job" workshop. More details will be posted early in May.