Social media has, of course, made information readily available, and some of this can definitely hurt you professionally.
You love Facebook and Instagram and tweeting is fun, but you should know that what you post could spark fall out on the job? If your employer or a co-worker sees something questionable, your next social event might be a meeting with HR office.
Accepting friend requests from co-workers
If Facebook is your place to post wild holiday photos, and questionable opinions, don’t accept friend requests from co-workers, or your employer. Posting scantily clad selfies, and odd comments might make your work colleagues question your judgment. A good rule of thumb is to operate under the opinion that everything is public.
Tweeting about a potential job offer
You just got offered an amazing job. You are dying to share this, but don’t until you sign on the dotted line. Job offers are normally confidential, and sharing something that’s about to happen might result in your potential boss labeling you as untrustworthy, or a gossip. Even worse, it could result in the offer being revoked.
Complaining publicly
Social Media is full of people whining about their bosses, co-workers, customers, and their life in general. It’s a bad move because people will see this. Why would you want to be known as someone who publicly grumbles about your workplace? It’s future career suicide.
Blindly sharing content
Be careful when sharing other people’s content. If you share without caution, you might be sharing something from an original source that’s not in line with your views or ethics. Take the time to see where your shared piece came from before posting.
Posting tasteless comments or content
Remarks that are tasteless can make you appear rude, or insensitive – hardly the top things employers are looking for. Social media blunders can land your resume in the ‘reject’ pile. As a recruitment consultant I always complete a quick Google search before calling candidates for interview.
Posting nudity
Don’t put anything online you wouldn’t comfortably share with your Grandma. Top of the pile is nudity. Posting suggestive photos of you or your friends won’t earn you a promotion or a pay raise. It’s also a bad idea to privately share naked images with other people.
Knowing your company’s social media policy
Not following your company’s policy can result in job dismissal. Read it! Before you join a new company, check it out.
Tweet now, think later
It’s easy to quickly tweet or post a Facebook rant without thinking. Don’t! Pause before you post.
Spelling and grammatical errors in your posts make you look tardy. Every tweet, Facebook comment and blog post promotes you and your ‘brand.’ Be careful, and you’ll keep your reputation intact.
Google yourself!!
