So many people resort to putting their social media on private in fear that future employers will be judging and scrutinizing every little detail. Locked in ‘Twitter and Instagram jail’, you’re free of those anxieties. However, changing your social media into an asset rather than a hindrance could give you a boost in the employment market.
Here’s some tips on how to bring your Instagram feed up to high quality and set you apart from the competition:
- High quality photos only, please!
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For the best results, use only high quality pictures. Grainy and odd angled selfies will make it look like you just don’t care. Social media should be thought of as a part of your personal presence. What you post should be well lit and colorful (unless you’re strictly going for a black and white theme). While the occasional sentimental moment is only captured in blurry photos, keep those posts limited and try editing the lighting a bit.
- Plan, plan, plan.
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Apps like Preview can help you lay out your feed. This sort of attention to detail can ensure you’re keeping a consistent color theme. However, if you’re like me, a certain color scheme is just a bit too much, but finding the right general vibe for your posts is still important. Tossing up a selfie three times in a row seems childish as opposed to a mix of interests and activities.
- Hashtags are an accessory.
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Don’t make them the whole show. Be sure to use hashtags sparingly so it doesn’t look like you’re spamming for likes. While there’s no judgement if you want a lot of likes, you won’t want employers to think that’s all you care about. Use about five hashtags max. Don’t avoid them altogether, though, because they can help you build an online brand.
- Delete those middle school posts.
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Keep your feed timely so that employers only see the highlights of your interests and aren’t distracted by those old squad pics from the school football game. If you’re in college the one thing you want to do is appear mature in front of an employer. The last thing you want is that image from your seventh grade field hockey game stuck in their mind when you’re trying to shake their hand.
- Unfollow those questionable accounts.
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Don’t be associated with those people from high school that are constantly doing questionable hometown things. You know the ones. Don’t put yourself in any sort of uncomfortable situations. Plus, be careful what meme accounts you’re following. Do your research with what you think is best and use discretion, but I don’t think HR is going to find certain things very funny.
- Use those DMs for networking.
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Depending on your industry, this may or not be relevant. However, there’s nothing wrong with following industry professionals and getting to see what they’re doing on their feeds. Plus, if you form a strong enough online friendship, it may come in handy. DM someone you admire and ask for professional tips, but just make sure your socials are something you’ll want them to see, too. If you’re stalking them, they’ll be stalking you.
- Finally, have fun with it.
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Stop being scared of making mistakes. Social media is the future and if you keep hiding from it, you’re going to miss out on the prime time to build an online brand– now. Don’t be behind the curve on this one.