What exactly do I need to do to clean up my social media before applying for a nanny position?
Nannies are always advised to clean up their social media before they start looking for work, but they are never told exactly what to do.
So here’s a list of everything you need to check to make a good impression on recruiters and employers, and to avoid being rejected because of your social networks!
The first thing you need to do is run a search of your name and surname in Google, and then scrutinize every single result it finds. Don’t skip any search result and obviously delete any content you find that could harm your job search.
Next, identify all the social media platforms you use, compare your profiles, and make sure they are consistent.
Deactivate and delete old accounts you no longer use.
Check your privacy settings and make sure your accounts are private.
(Sometimes recruiters ask nannies to make their profiles public so they can view them. This should be considered a major red flag, and you should definitely not do it!)
Your LinkedIn profile is the only one that can be public, but it must be 100% professional.
Think about your personal data and always keep the amount of personal information you share on social media to a minimum.
Hide, or better delete permanently anything inappropriate, anything questionable, anything that might harm your job search, and anything that reflects poorly on you.
And by anything we mean posts, pictures, videos, comments etc.
Delete photos or videos that might be problematic, such as those of you partying or those where your body is not covered enough.
If you took pictures at your previous employers’ homes, on their yachts or private jets, or if you posted pictures of the children you worked with before, delete them too – you don’t want potential future employers to think you don’t understand the concept of confidentiality!
Regarding your posts, delete all those full of spelling mistakes or typos.
Delete anything negative you’ve posted about your previous employers, recruiters, and any rants you may have posted about the industry.
It’s a good rule to never talk about your workplace and employment on your personal social media profiles.
If recruiters and employers see that you’re going to immediately complain or whine on Facebook as soon as you have a negative experience, it’s not going to make them want to work with you!
There is so much that can be considered unprofessional by recruiters and employers… basically, anything that can be misinterpreted, as well as anything that can be considered indecent, provocative, shocking, offensive, immodest, defamatory, should be removed.
If you have posted your CV with your full contact details on Facebook or other social networks, delete everything.
If you applied by leaving a comment under a post or if you made posts saying you were looking for work, delete all of that.
Anything that suggests you are desperate or don’t take security seriously must go.
Also review all the comments you have posted and delete anything that might reflect poorly on you such as “interested”, “what’s the salary?”, “salary is too low”, “DM me”, “send me more info”, “would you consider a ROTA”, “I sent you tons of emails but didn’t get any reply”, “I applied to all your ROTA jobs but you didn’t get back to me”, “scam” etc etc.
If you left comments complaining about not receiving a response, delete them as soon as possible. No one wants to work with someone who engages in what appears to be social media harassment.
If you have participated in controversial conversations, or posts from other nannies complaining, venting, or slandering, delete all your comments!
Especially if you don’t really know the people you interacted with, and if you don’t have the side of the story from those who pissed them off.
Also check:
the content you’re tagged in
the posts you liked or reacted to
the reviews you have left online
and don’t forget your usernames as they could potentially identify you, if they contain your initial and your last name, for example!
Next, clean up your contacts and unfollow negative accounts.
In this industry, you have to network, so you often have people in your social media contacts that you don’t really know.
Recruiters and employers are not going to check whether you know everyone in your network.
But if, for example, they see that you’re friends with a nanny who’s blacklisted everywhere and spends their time criticizing everything and slandering everyone, they will notice it and they might think that if you are friends, it is because you are the same.
You may be judged unfairly because of your contacts, so when networking, make sure you only add people to your contacts who have a positive and professional online presence themselves.
Stay away from people who have a questionable online presence to avoid being associated with them.
Some things, like your profile picture or bio, can’t be hidden on your profiles, so choose wisely.
The photo must be recent; it doesn’t have to be a professional headshot, but it can’t be a selfie taken in your bathroom. The bio must be up-to-date and accurate.
Nannies, when looking for work always keep this in mind:
Social media can be a deciding factor when it comes to being hired or recommended for a nanny position.
Your reputation as a nanny is shaped, among other things, by what you present online and how others perceive it.
Now that your digital presence is pristine, follow these steps to keep it that way:
Think before you post. Always ask yourself, “If this something I might regret later on.”
Be kind (a good rule to follow whether you’re online or not)!
