Expert Gives New Graduates 5 Tips To Clean Up Your Social Media Accounts Before Applying To That Big Job

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's college graduation season and that means shifting focus from studying to find a job. If you think it's just a resume employers look at, think again.

Smiling proud in those caps and gowns, the graduates of 2019 are filling up our social media feeds.

Once the accolades die down, those same graduates might want to take a close look at their own social media, if not some of the content in their profiles could haunt their chances with a future employer.

"I feel fortunate that I was able to grow up in an age without social media," said Jennifer Lynn Robinson, founder and CEO of Purposeful Networking.

She knows that recent grads and those hunting for jobs are known to go to extremes to hide past online activity.

"I know a lot of people that will change their spelling to an egregious spelling of their name so that their employer or potential employer would never find their account," Adam said, a Philadelphia resident.

Celebrity Chef José Andrés Wants To Hire Lunchroom Worker Fired For Giving Free Food To Student

Rather than going all social-media-witness-protection, Robinson has five need-to-know tips for making social media work for you in 2019.

First, Google yourself!

"You should Google yourself pretty consistently to make sure that what is on there is stuff that you know about and are happy with," she said.

Robinson suggests setting up a Google alert under your name.

The second tip is to make sure that your social media "handles" -- what you have named your profile -- and photos are consistent across platforms and that they are nothing too goofy.

"Make sure that you don't have a fun email address or if you buy a domain name, that it's something that's not silly," Robinson said.

Three, remove photos that are not work appropriate and remove the ability for others to tag you in posts that could appear on your wall.

Four, reserve your wall for insightful posts, leave the ones for your "stories" since they will delete after 24 hours, but also know that they can be screenshotted for others to share.

"There are some negative things that you are not going to be able to erase," Robinson said.

'You Want Philly Philly?': Eagles' 'Philly Special' Will Be Featured Play In Madden NFL 20

Her fifth piece of advice is to counter the posts that you can't remove, because they have already been shared by others or have been screenshotted, with positive self-promotion, as uncomfortable as that might be at first.

"Try to be a thought leader that is useful to your industry," Robinson said. "Try to share knowledge and try and be thought of as an expert in your field."

In other words, fake it until you make it.

Social media is all about branding. With insightful retweets, shares and positive commentary as it relates to your field of potential employment, a future boss could see you and your following as an asset.

But Robinson added, beware of posts that are too political, because once you're hired at a company, you represent their brand as well.