Let’s be real—everyone Googles everyone these days. That includes hiring managers, recruiters, and clients.
Your online presence is your digital first impression. If you want to land opportunities, grow your network, or just look like you have your life together, here’s how to clean-up and glow-up your digital self and how to create a professional online presence.
1. LinkedIn = Your Digital Business Card.
If you’re job hunting (or might be in the future), your LinkedIn profile needs to look alive. Keep it current, use a solid headline, and maybe even post now and then to show you’re engaged in your field. Treat it like your career highlight reel so it doesn't feel like such a chore to keep it updated.
2. Take a Grown-Up Profile Pic.
You don’t need a $300 photoshoot to look professional. Just put on something smart, stand in front of decent lighting, and take a clean, confident headshot. Use it everywhere—LinkedIn, your portfolio, email profile, you name it. Consistency across your accounts builds trust (and people love a face to remember).
3. Create a Simple Online Portfolio.
Do you have projects, designs, or writing to show off? Make a digital home for it. Whether it's Notion, Squarespace, or a simple one-pager, having a portfolio link is a powerful move to show hiring managers what you can do. Add a link to your portfolio to your LinkedIn, resume, and social bios for extra visibility.
4. Clean Up Your Social Media.
No shade to your 2015 memes, but if you're still rocking party pics or spicy takes from high school—maybe give those a little privacy. Employers will scroll. Getting rid of things you posted that might leave a bad impression can be done by archiving it, deleting it, or making your account private.
5. Google Yourself (Yes, Really).
Open an incognito tab and search your name. What shows up? Your LinkedIn? Cool. Your Tumblr from 2012? Less cool. If something unflattering pops up, consider ways to push it down—like creating fresh, professional content. A little digital housekeeping goes a long way to ensure hiring managers take you seriously.
6. Update Your Bios Everywhere.
Your Instagram/TikTok/X/Threads bios don’t have to be boring—but if you're a working professional, they should reflect what you actually do. Use a quick line about your job, a link to your portfolio, or just something that says "I have my act together."
The first impression isn’t always a handshake—it might be a search result, a profile photo, or a single tweet. And while we love authenticity, looking polished online can open doors you didn’t even know existed.
So whether you're applying for jobs, growing a side hustle, or just want to be Google-able in a good way—start shaping your online presence.
