Employers probably aren’t paying close attention to your social media, but just in case they do check, you need to make sure your profiles are private, or at least look professional.

Most employers want to know that you can perform the tasks of a job, that you are eligible for employment, and to know if you’d make a good fit for their team. Whether it’s fair or not, some may go a step further, looking into your professional references and even checking your social media profiles.

Like much of the hiring process, this isn’t about searching for reasons to hire you, it’s about looking for reasons to eliminate you. So don’t give them any! Make sure your social media doesn’t raise any eyebrows by keeping your posts and pictures professional.

Clean up your social media profiles before starting your job search. Do a quick audit of your accounts, performing the following checklist:

**1. Make your profiles private- or follower-only. **The first and easiest step is to lock up your accounts. Don’t make it easy for a biased employer to find your posts.

2. Make sure your profile picture is something you wouldn’t feel weird explaining to an employer. We’ve explained why a picture on your resume is a bad idea, but a professional headshot, or a picture where you are clearly in focus and not doing anything compromising, illegal, or that could be misinterpreted as such.

3. Polish up your LinkedIn profile. Chances are that LinkedIn is the first (and possibly only) place an employer will try to learn more about you or connect with you. Make sure your profile is accurate, succinct, and is tailored to your job search.

**4. Use social media to connect with employers - when it’s right. **Don’t spam employers with employment requests but do try to find people that work at the companies you are interested in and try to see if they’d answer some questions for you. It can be helpful to connect with other employees, especially on LinkedIn.