If you’re on a job hunt, you know the value of making yourself as marketable as possible. You want employers to see your resume and application and know you’re the professional they’re looking to hire. It’s likely you spruced up your LinkedIn account and engaged with the company there to express your interest, but what else should you be doing?

A study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found employers disqualify 36 percent of candidates based on social media posts, so you’ve even made changes to make sure your Facebook projects the right image as well. Unfortunately, certain quick steps may actually be hurting your chances instead of helping you.

You Went Private

This seems like the easiest solution. Instead of cleaning your accounts, you simply make them private so no one you haven’t approved can see them. This way, when employers come looking, you’re covered. Unfortunately, this logic actually works against you.

Because you hid everything, employers assume you’re hiding something. The very action you took proved your point. If they can’t see what you’re sharing, they assume it isn’t good and will likely move past you.

You Stopped Using the Account

Perhaps your goal was to seem dedicated and not social obsessed, so you stopped using your Facebook. If you aren’t posting, you can’t accidentally share anything incriminating. Sadly, this doesn’t work in your favor, either.

Employers look at your Facebook to get a better idea of who you are based on what you share. Withholding that can either cost you the job or get you hired into an environment where you don’t fit. Use your social accounts to provide insight into who you are, while keeping everything professional.

You Purchased Followers

You wanted employers to think you’re doing well on social media, so you purchased fake followers to boost your accounts. These are easily identifiable and very disreputable. Don’t fake what you don’t have, because you will be found out.

Always Think Through an Employer Lens

At the end of the day, the easiest way to keep your Facebook ready for a job search is to always think about what you’re sharing. This will stop you from sharing anything too inappropriate and save you the stress of trying to clean things up in a hurry.

Let Workbox Help You

When you’re looking for a job, you have enough to worry about. Trust the staffing experts at Workbox Staffing to match you with a great employer and set your career down the right path.