How to Give Yourself a Professional Social Media Upgrade

The new year is a good time to clean up, tidy and organize –– which also goes for your professional social media footprint. Here is a checklist of items to pay attention to in your digital network. 

Overhaul and update LinkedIn
Just like offline networking, online networking shouldn’t just be about what you can gain from other people. It’s critical to create value for others and show what you can do, instead of just asking for favors. Be proactive and write a recommendation for others on LinkedIn, update with your current professional headshot and headline, include recent relevant projects and accomplishments, skills and volunteer work. 

Join Facebook groups  
You may think of Facebook as merely a place to keep up with the personal lives of friends and family. But recently, Facebook has actively boosted groups, which can be a place to join for both professional information and networking with new people. Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/feed/ or click on the groups tab to filter your news feed by groups and see suggested groups to join. This will help expand your network outside of people you currently know and can include career-focused information by being intentional with which groups you join. 

Find jobs on Instagram
Just like Facebook, if you go beyond the surface of Instagram’s selfies and adventures, you can find a valuable source of professional information through hashtags and job listings. In this pursuit, actively use the search box instead of passively scrolling through your feed. For example, try searching “careers” to find job listing accounts from companies that have dedicated HR and recruitment accounts on Instagram. The network also makes it possible to follow hashtags like #careertips so they show up periodically in your feed.   

No matter which social media networks you use, the biggest shift to make a difference is to use them mindfully instead of mindlessly. Rather than letting an algorithm solely dictate your feed, consider your needs, goals and what you want to get out of visiting the site. Then take action accordingly.