What does social media say about you?

We’ve all heard the horror stories of people that get well and truly caught out doing something highly inappropriate on social media and losing their job as a result. I think we can all say that we’d never be so naïve, however it’s always a good idea to be on your guard when using social media as, especially when it is a subject that you are passionate about, you can get carried away in the moment!

Facebook and Twitter are just a couple of examples of the larger, more recognised social media channels. There is a lot of conversation to get involved in on those platforms, some good and some bad. It is always best to pick wisely the conversations that you enter into, ensure that what you post is professional and coming from a good place. Think about the repercussions of a bad post!

Instagram is another social media platform that gets a lot of attention. If you enjoy posting pictures to Instagram, you’d better be sure to scrutinise your choices thoroughly before posting. It is especially important if you want to use this medium to promote yourself and/or your business.

This article Being Professionally Personable on Facebook, has some great recommendations for managing your personal and professional life on Facebook:

• Use your restricted list – to organise who sees what level of content that you post.
• Create your own lists – make lists that include specific people for different subjects that you talk about on Facebook.
• Target each post – think about whom you want to share that content with.
• Classify your colleagues – if you’re going to be friends with your co-workers on Facebook then make sure you manage what you want them to see.
• Tweak your defaults – if you share from your phone then make sure you have the appropriate privacy settings in place, in case of accidents!

The most important thing to remember when using social media is the Internet is forever. It is very difficult in some cases to back track once it’s out there…

Tools & Resources

How to Perform a Social Media Cleanup Before a Job Search
5 great ways to revamp your online personality — and land your dream job
How Your Digital Presence (Or Lack Thereof) May Be Sabotaging Your Career Options
6 Ways to Dial Up Social Media to Advance Your Career
How to Separate the Personal and Professional on Social Media
Using Social Media Without Jeopardizing Your Career