Social Media!
Eek! Your future employers and even your current ones are watching what you do on the internet!
I know we all hear that, but it really is something that happens and yet so many students neglect to keep their social media in tip-top condition. I remember when we would hire new Orientation Leaders and every time I would go through and immediately look them all up online. What I saw played a role in how I would view the new prospective leaders.
I asked my current employers and some people from different departments to try and find out just what they focus on when they look at employee profiles, and here is what I discovered:
- Private Profiles: If no one can see your information from a general search, then that’s definitely helpful. It’s better for them to see nothing at all than to see those “red flags.” Being private does not mean you are safe from peering eyes, however! I know of many peers who have made the mistake of posting something and then forgetting they’re friends with their boss or coworkers. (One recently took a day off work because she “felt ill,” and then got busted with party photos!) Plus, once something is on the internet, even if it gets deleted or privatized, it will ALWAYS be on the internet!
- Pictures: I just mentioned one way a picture could get you in trouble, but there are so many other ways, too! One example I’ve seen is an animal shelter employee posting pictures of puppies that weren’t up for adoption yet. People came in asking for puppies that were essentially a “secret,” and he ended up getting reprimanded for that. Also, if you’re looking to get a job, future employers will look negatively at things that could tarnish their reputation (that means no party pics like I mentioned above).
- What you say and how you say it: When I was doing my “research,” it turns out many employers mentioned the same two rules in terms of text that they find on social media. They don’t want to see cursing of any sort, and they want things to be written with good grammar and spelling. One even told me that if a prospective employee had a well-written resume but had terrible spelling and grammar on their personal profiles, that could really end up costing them the position.
- Good Screen Names: This last one is one I can relate to. During the times I’ve spent working with peers or even just talking with friends, I’ve heard of many crazy usernames. I remember the first one I ever made was “girlphenomenon.” Even if it’s not a wildly inappropriate name, the silly ones can make employers do a double-take, too, and not in a good way. Go ahead and stop using (or at least broadcasting) names like supercutieee998 or tacos4lyfe, and instead opt for a username that’s more professional. A common alternative is to simply use some sort of combination of your first and last name.
Go ahead and get to cleaning up your social media, because your future bosses could be Googling you right this second! 🙂
