6 Ways Social Media Can Polish a Professional Image

Apply common sense when using social media, avoiding obvious pitfalls such as crude postings, tasteless photos or criticizing colleagues in public.

Better yet, take charge of your online presence for the strongest professional impact. Here are a few suggestions:

Remove any jokes that could be taken as discriminatory or exaggerated qualifications from networking sites.
Avoid letting profiles exhibit sloppy communications habits, unprofessional attitudes or overly personal situations.
Eliminate inappropriate posts from others and unwanted tags on photos others may have uploaded.
Leave the personal at home: use Facebook for “after hours” sharing with close friends and family and reserve sites such as LinkedIn for business and professional posts.
Use social media sites to showcase strong communication skills, attractive personality traits, creative outlets or technical savvy that help future employers see a well-rounded individual, suggests an Ars Technica article about Facebook use by Jacqui Cheng.
Make timely, on-topic contributions to selected professional blogs and forums.

Managing online visibility is as important as updating credentials. Use social media to support, not sabotage your personal brand.

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