Your Facebook profile can be made visible to people who haven’t joined your network yet. If you fill it in correctly during a job search, then nosy hiring managers and recruiters can learn more about you.
Your profile info also helps Facebook find new people to suggest you add to your network. The more accurate you are in your profile, the more accurate Facebook’s suggestions are for who else you can connect with. Making sure your profile is filled out is worth the extra five or ten minutes.
Your profile photo
In Facebook, your profile photo is attached to every communication you send and is considered basic information in your privacy settings. The reason is that Facebook is first and foremost a visual platform.
If you’re actively seeking employment, use your LinkedIn photo as your Facebook profile image. Why? Because unless you’re interviewing for a position at a nightclub as a dancer, you want your first impression on Facebook to be as professional as possible.
To change your profile picture, simply hover over your profile picture on your timeline and click Edit Profile Picture.
Your cover photo
The larger banner behind your profile photo is called your cover photo. This large image can represent anything you like. Think of it like the cover of a book. Pick images from your life that mean something to you, like a nice picture of your family at a wedding, or a beautiful day at the beach where the sunset just took your breath away.
Your About Me section
When you click on the Update Info button you find a box called About You that’s just waiting for information about you. Your About You section should serve a very similar function as your LinkedIn profile summary, in that it communicates who you are professionally and what makes you unique.
The text you enter in this can be set to appear publicly and may be the only prose a hiring manager conducting some preliminary screening may read about you on Facebook.
If you’re actively seeking work, consider pasting a copy of your value statement in the About You section of your profile. If you want to add a little bit more personality or personal information as well, lead with a professional statement of who you are and then conclude with a more personal statement, perhaps even mentioning some interests or hobbies.
Work and Education
Be sure your work and education history information matches that of your LinkedIn profile. Hiring managers are looking for inconsistencies (after all, some people lie on their résumés), so if they see that you’re consistent with your résumé in several places, they’re more likely to believe you.
Favorite Quotations
Sharing who inspires you and what your favorite quotes are can be powerful ways of differentiating yourself. Spend time thinking about your role models and quotes that stick with you.
All the other profile settings
Your Facebook profile also allows you to enter information about the types of music, books, movies, and TV shows you like, as well as your favorite sports teams, activities, and interests. Don’t be afraid to fill in this information. Sharing it helps round out your personality in the eyes of a hiring manager.
Just keep in mind that your selections should be appropriate; use the “Would I talk about it in the office?” test to be sure. Revisit these parts of your profile with your career in mind.
