CHICAGO — The young professionals in the workforce today and looking to join in coming years are some of the first fully digital natives to enter the office. From growing up with smartphones to having social media accounts at young ages to being connected to their networks 24/7, young professionals bring their experience of growing up in the digital environment to their careers — and they bring their digital footprints too.
That’s why Trade Show Executive compiled a checklist of things to review and do to ensure your digital footprint is helping advance you and your goals — rather than potentially hindering them — and checked in with Leslie Rosario, Vice President of HR at Informa Markets for insights.
“As the first fully digital generation in the workforce, today’s young professionals bring unique value to organizations. While this digital fluency is a major asset, it’s essential to approach your online presence with awareness,” Rosario said. “Remember, your digital footprint often creates first impressions long before you ever meet someone face to face or join a Zoom call.”
Conduct a Social Media Audit
🔲Google yourself and check out the top results. Are they what you want to be known for?
🔲 Set up Google Alerts for your name (and nicknames) — this will help you keep track of where you’re being mentioned and why.
🔲 Make your usernames and profiles consistent across platforms. If you’re able, claiming your name on major platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook can help eliminate confusion.
“Your digital footprint is a powerful extension of your personal brand,” Rosario said. “With a bit of intention behind what you share, it can help you stand out for all the right reasons.”
🔲 Review and update your privacy settings. If an account is only being used for personal content, and no mention of or interaction with work-related topics is made, set that account to private or delete it.
🔲 Delete or hide old posts that are unprofessional, and consider unfollowing or un-liking pages that don’t align with what you want your professional image to be.
“Don’t count on privacy settings to protect everything. In a world where screenshots last forever, ask yourself if you’d be comfortable with colleagues or clients seeing what you’re about to post either now or in years to come. If the answer is no, it’s worth reconsidering before posting,” Rosario said.
🔲Remove personal information or content from websites and pages you do not control. You may need to contact the person or company that maintains a website/page to get unwanted content taken down.
Update and Optimize Your Professional Profiles
🔲 Use a consistent name, photo and headline across platforms.
🔲 Make sure all your work history, job descriptions, skills and accomplishments are up to date consistently.
🔲 Join and be active in professional groups or pages on platforms.
“We’ve noticed the most successful professionals are those who strategically use their online presence to showcase industry knowledge, build meaningful connections and demonstrate their value — all while maintaining healthy boundaries between their personal and professional life online,” Rosario said.
🔲 Like, comment and share industry-relevant content on a regular basis.
“Do use your digital platforms to reflect who you really are,” Rosario advised. “Share your passions, professional interests and personality. Jump into industry conversations, celebrate your wins, and post content that shows your curiosity, expertise and growth mindset.”
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