Creating a Respectable Facebook Profile

In the July INTERNnetwork, I included an article about social networking and how to create a “professional” Facebook profile. However, I am going to correct myself – since Facebook is less of a business-oriented site and more of a personal social networking platform, I think the word “respectable” more appropriately labels how you should represent yourself in your profile.

Let me explain what I mean by “respectable” – the content in your profile should not be content that you would not want an employer to view. Creating a respectable profile means including both personal and professional content. For example, you want to include your career goals and interests, but that does not mean you have to exclude your other interests as well. Take look at the Facebook profile I have included for your reference – For example, Anastasiya lists “journalism” and “public relations” as some of her interests, but she also includes the movies, music, and books she enjoys.

Here are some key tips to build a professional respectable Facebook profile:

• Use a current, respectable profile picture (preferably a headshot – take a look at the example of Anastasiya’s profile picture) and delete, un-tag, or hide unprofessional/inappropriate pictures,
• in the “About Me” section, list networking as something you are interested in,
• include interests relevant to your career goals in the “Interests” section,
• join groups or “Like” pages that are related to the industries, markets, or organizations of your interest,
• use your “Bio” section to express your career interests and aspirations,
• include your education and prior work experience,
• include links to your online portfolio, resume, and/or blog, and
• use the status bar to share your opinion on current events in industries of your interest, share article you write, and let others know you are internship/job searching.

Profile Example

(Click to enlarge)