Seven tips for a more professional Facebook profile.
16 January 2012
Read by 1724 persons
Is my Facebook profile suitable for my professional life? If not, it's time to tidy it up.
Oops. In your emails this morning, an unexpected request. Your (future?) boss wants to be your friend on Facebook. Will they discover all about your wild Saturday nights and your unusual hobbies? And how can you make this social network an asset? Don't panic. With a few tweaks, you'll be ready to show your best side without displaying a blank page.
1. Create a "work" friends list urgently
You'll add all your professional contacts here. You can then restrict access to certain items (like your family photos) to this group.
2. Define your settings
This is the crux of the problem. Click on: account -> privacy settings -> profile information. Note, you need to familiarize yourself with this page: it allows you to choose who can see what. An example of suitable settings by clicking on this link.
Date of birth, education and employment remain visible to everyone. In the same philosophy as an online CV, this information is part of your public digital identity. Even internet users who are not your friends on Facebook will see it.
In the same vein, you can make the fields "About me" and "Interests" public. The idea is not to tell your life story, but just to introduce yourself in a few words - with humor, why not.
Secondly, choose what you only want to make accessible to your friends. Feel free to choose the "customize" option and opt for "friends except 'Work'". Your family and your -real- friends have access, but not the people you've put in the 'work' list.
Prefer the "Only me" option for photos and videos of yourself. This setting will greatly reduce the risks of unexpected appearances of unwanted photos.
Also take some time to choose which photo albums you want to make visible.
Finally, take a quick look at your contact details. Do you want people to see your email? Your phone number? This is the time to define the right options. Leaving at least one email address available is necessary for a potential recruiter. This is also where you can display your website.
3. Improve your CV
This is the time to look at the "Education and employment" fields. What do you want to show about yourself? Which episodes of your academic or professional career do you want to highlight? Take some time to choose the right words and elements.
4. Choose a good profile picture
A tricky exercise. Don't look too clownish, or too serious... Maybe a drawing? It's up to you to find the most appropriate image.
5. Don't hide
Go to "privacy settings" then "search". Allow everything, so that you can be found by a search engine.
6. One last look...
What does your profile look like from the outside? Go to "Privacy Settings" then "Profile Information". In the top right corner, click on "View a preview of my profile". So, satisfied?
7. Beware of the pitfalls!
You won't be able to hide the pages you're a fan of. It might be time to abandon your membership to the page "You'll be less cocky when the ducks rule the world" or "Make this pickle have more fans than Twilight" (although...).
Lexpress.fr
Posted online January 16, 2012.
Oops. In your emails this morning, an unexpected request. Your (future?) boss wants to be your friend on Facebook. Will they discover all about your wild Saturday nights and your unusual hobbies? And how can you make this social network an asset? Don't panic. With a few tweaks, you'll be ready to show your best side without displaying a blank page.
1. Create a "work" friends list urgently
You'll add all your professional contacts here. You can then restrict access to certain items (like your family photos) to this group.
2. Define your settings
This is the crux of the problem. Click on: account -> privacy settings -> profile information. Note, you need to familiarize yourself with this page: it allows you to choose who can see what. An example of suitable settings by clicking on this link.
Date of birth, education and employment remain visible to everyone. In the same philosophy as an online CV, this information is part of your public digital identity. Even internet users who are not your friends on Facebook will see it.
In the same vein, you can make the fields "About me" and "Interests" public. The idea is not to tell your life story, but just to introduce yourself in a few words - with humor, why not.
Secondly, choose what you only want to make accessible to your friends. Feel free to choose the "customize" option and opt for "friends except 'Work'". Your family and your -real- friends have access, but not the people you've put in the 'work' list.
Prefer the "Only me" option for photos and videos of yourself. This setting will greatly reduce the risks of unexpected appearances of unwanted photos.
Also take some time to choose which photo albums you want to make visible.
Finally, take a quick look at your contact details. Do you want people to see your email? Your phone number? This is the time to define the right options. Leaving at least one email address available is necessary for a potential recruiter. This is also where you can display your website.
3. Improve your CV
This is the time to look at the "Education and employment" fields. What do you want to show about yourself? Which episodes of your academic or professional career do you want to highlight? Take some time to choose the right words and elements.
4. Choose a good profile picture
A tricky exercise. Don't look too clownish, or too serious... Maybe a drawing? It's up to you to find the most appropriate image.
5. Don't hide
Go to "privacy settings" then "search". Allow everything, so that you can be found by a search engine.
6. One last look...
What does your profile look like from the outside? Go to "Privacy Settings" then "Profile Information". In the top right corner, click on "View a preview of my profile". So, satisfied?
7. Beware of the pitfalls!
You won't be able to hide the pages you're a fan of. It might be time to abandon your membership to the page "You'll be less cocky when the ducks rule the world" or "Make this pickle have more fans than Twilight" (although...).
Lexpress.fr
Posted online January 16, 2012.
