- Madeline Mann, a career coach, advises job seekers to be careful about what they post online.
- Mann said job recruiters will check a candidate's LinkedIn account and other social-media profiles.
- She said sharing about your current job-search journey on LinkedIn could backfire.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Madeline Mann, a 32-year-old career coach and the CEO of Self Made Millennial from Los Angeles. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I've been a career coach for about six years. As the CEO of Self Made Millennial, a career-coaching service, I want people to feel confident selling themselves and ultimately land a job offer.
When it comes to job hunting, I tell my clients that recruiters will definitely check their LinkedIn profile — but they might not stop there. It's very likely they'll search for candidates on other social-media platforms, too.
For that reason, there are several things you shouldn't share online when looking for work. Here are four of them.
1. Don't share your job-search journey
When you're job searching, I strongly advise against documenting your journey. There's been a surge of people on LinkedIn sharing what it's like to apply for jobs in today's market.
They say things like, "Oh, I just went through this company's interview process, and I didn't get the job," or, "Look how silly this job application is — and here's how I feel about it."
While it might get you some good engagement, understand employers are watching, too. As a job seeker, you don't want them to think, "Oh no, if we put this person through our interview process, what are they going to publicly say about our company?"
Though a job search can be pretty isolating and it can feel good to talk about it, you want to be cautious here.
2. Mental health
I'd advise against sharing your mental-health journey online. This is something that's become a much more mainstream conversation and for good reason.
But understand that it's something an employer could make snap judgments about. Those hiring might question your ability to perform.
Sharing things about depression or anxiety might make an employer wonder, "How is that going to impact our business?" or "Are they going to be capable of this job?"
Even if you're being uplifting and reflective, it's very risky. Instead, I'd keep this more to your inner circle, where you can control who has access.
3. Don't share your résumé online
On LinkedIn, there's an option to share your résumé — and I wouldn't recommend doing that.
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If you share the same résumé everywhere online, you're missing the chance to tailor it to what that company is looking for. This is especially important if you have diverse interests in different roles — one résumé could send the wrong message.
Instead, I suggest only sharing your résumé with the company you're applying to.
4. Consider not sharing political campaigns
If you've worked on a political campaign, it's important to consider whether you should actually include it on your LinkedIn profile.
You likely gained valuable experience, but before posting it, think about the cities where you'd want to work, the role you're applying for, and the jobs you'd like to pursue.
Many people struggle to separate their political beliefs from their professional lives and may make assumptions based on who they think you voted for. These differences can cloud someone's judgment, which you don't want to happen when you're applying for jobs.
Even if they shouldn't, small biases can have big consequences. In the end, you don't want to be judged before a potential employer can get to know you.
Protecting your accounts
When applying for jobs, go to Google, type in your name, and see what comes up. A recruiter will usually start there. They might see your LinkedIn profile, but they could also come across your X and Instagram accounts. If those platforms appear, they'll likely click on those links.
To protect yourself from that happening, you can do a few things. First, you can put your social-media accounts on private, which isn't necessarily foolproof, or you can set your social-media accounts to include just your first and middle name, so your last name doesn't appear.
You can also slightly misspell your last name. I saw someone whose last name starts with W, but he used two Vs instead. That way, if someone searched his last name, it wouldn't appear.
But as a general rule, know that if someone does get through your privacy settings, there are ways to see what you've liked and who you follow.
Before posting, ask yourself, is this the right way to portray myself? Should I just send this in a group text to my friends instead? It's crucial to consider those things before posting.
If you're a career coach who'd like to share helpful job-searching tips, please email Manseen Logan at mlogan@businessinsider.com.