So guys, the summer internship application period is upon us! Resume? Check. Letter of recommendation? Check. Cover letter? Check.

Looks like you’re pretty much ready.  But is your online self ready?

This is the part of my blog where I really want to stress successful online presence. This is where it starts to matter most!

As you probably know, more and more employers are using Facebook and other social media for screening potential interns and employees.  According to Mindflash.com, 45% of employers are using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to do this.  Part of having this successful online self, is having clean and professional looking profiles. This doesn’t mean going crazy deleting every picture or status you have, but being conscious of how you present yourself to the public through the Internet.

Here are my suggestions:

Photos:

• Go through your photos – First impressions are important.  View Facebook and Twitter as part of your interview.  If you feel that you wouldn’t want your potential employer seeing something, consider deleting it.  Otherwise, I recommend keeping your profile private.  Not that you have anything to hide, its just the best way to go.
• Choose your profile picture wisely – Even with your profile settings on private, people can see your profile picture.  This can say a lot about your character.  So choose something that represents you and how you want others, specifically employers, to see you.  This could be you on vacation or you and your friends at the park.  Something nice and casual that shows your personality, but in a positive way.
• Go through the pictures you are tagged in – This is where it gets tricky.  These photos are not yours and are not in your control.  You can untag yourself, but it can still be found through friends’ profiles that aren’t private.  If there is something you really are uncomfortable having on the Internet at all, maybe ask your friend to delete it.  They can also change their settings to private.  Better to be safe than sorry!

Info Page:

• Interests – Sometimes the pages you like on Facebook come up on your interest page.  Some things you liked a long time ago in high school may look immature now.  Just go through them and use your judgement on what it says about you.
• Relationship status – I advise not to have one of those fake relationship statuses.  It may be funny for a little bit to be married to your best friend or something but it may be confusing and unprofessional.
• Political views – It is okay to show an opinion, but don’t be too strong with your views on your profile at least. You don’t want to offend anyone or seem too closed minded.

Wall Posts/Statuses:

• Same thing applies here.  Just be conscious of how you come across. Are you a positive person? Someone with a smart sense of humor? What kinds of things do you enjoy?

To set your profile to private:

1. Log into Facebook
2. Go to “account” in the upper right hand corner, then click “privacy settings”
3. Choose between “Everyone, Friends of Friends, Friends Only, or Custom”
4. Hit save

One last thing I suggest doing is Googling yourself and seeing what comes up.  It’s a good way to check privacy settings, see other websites you may have missed, Google images that are associated with your name, and exactly how your online self is portrayed to potential employers.

Here is a breakdown of the social screening employers are using according to mindflash.com. Click the image to see the full post.