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Keep it Clean: Employers check your online profiles!

 By Peter Ngo | 20 October 2023

For many lawyers and law students, engaging in online social media is second nature. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter can easily become an extension of ourselves.

While it is easy to think of these sites as just a means to connect with friends and show off the highlights of our social lives, the way lawyers and law students represent themselves online can have real-world repercussions on their legal career. 

Increasingly, employers and clients are paying attention to the online profiles of job candidates. Gone are the days where an applicant’s chance of achieving the dream position were determined solely by their resume or performance in the interview room. The ways students represent themselves through social media can determine the impression they give to future employers.

Students who are savvy in the way they navigate their online presence can easily avoid embarrassment and use social media to their professional advantage. Smart social media use is not about removing the interesting aspects of your online presence but more about staying in control of how you are represented.

Pitfalls to watch for:

Privacy policies. Given that for many of us, Facebook is a primary mode of updating others about our personal lives, it is wise to take five minutes out of your time to comb through your privacy settings. Placing an appropriate limit on who can see your content provides peace of mind. Another wise tip is to turn on functions that allow you to moderate what is posted on your wall or feed before it appears to others.

Google yourself. While it may seem self-involved, taking the time to Google yourself allows you to see how recruiters may see you online. Tweets from Twitter and submissions on sites like YouTube and Tumblr can show up in search engines.

Check your voice. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can provide excellent means for students to develop their voice on issues that are occurring in the world. However, this should be done with caution. The views and forms of expression you use online can easily follow you into your career. While posting about your favourite team winning a game is fine, long rants about people or workplaces, antisocial comments and reposting derogatory content can quickly turn your online profile into a professional downfall.

Photos. Looking back through old Facebook photos may be a cringe worthy step back in time but could be beneficial in the long run. Online pictures often play a significant role in how a person can be perceived from their online profile. There is nothing wrong with showing you have a social life however evidence of excessive antisocial behaviour, drug use or content that is overtly sexual in nature should be reviewed.

How to use social media to your advantage

Networking. It’s never too early to begin interacting with the professional field of your interest. Social media sites provide an excellent means of forming valuable connections and carving an identity for yourself in the legal profession.

LinkedIn can be likened to Facebook for the career minded. It allows you to set up a profile that includes your qualifications and career goals. It is a great way to connect with professionals in your field of interest and to look up the paths they took to get where you want to be.

Following relevant law associations is another way of putting your foot in the door of the professional world. University Law Student Societies and your State or Territory Lawyer Society are great examples.

Be in the know. Facebook and Twitter can be an efficient way of keeping up to date with Court decisions and other developments in the legal fields. The internet also provides  an enormous database of publications and networks. Many Australian an international news publishers are frequent users of social media. Following a few of your preferred news distributers allows you to keep informed about current affairs.

Effective use of social media is an increasingly valued skill for job candidates to possess. Again, how you represent yourself online can have real-world repercussion on your legal career.


Peter Ngo is a Law student studying a Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne.