Growing up in the digital age, we are all too familiar with the ins and outs of social media. It's difficult to be a gen-Y baby and not find social media tangled throughout our daily lives. Although it's proven to be useful to connect with friends, share photos, and stay up to date with the latest news, it's important to learn how to use social media in an effective way when getting ready to apply for jobs.
You can guarantee that in today's hiring market, your employers will be looking you up on Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, Google+, and everywhere in between. Make sure that you are only presenting them with information you would be proud to share. Photos of last night's shenanigans at the bar? Maybe not the most appropriate display of yourself. So leave it off of social media platforms.
Consider cleaning up your social media sites. Although it can be daunting, it's definitely worth it. Always ask yourself, is this something you would want your parents, bosses, or children to see? If the answer is no, then it's not worth sharing online (and maybe not worth doing in the first place).
Things I recommend keeping off of social media include:
1. Controversial viewpoints (you wouldn't walk into an interview and start talking about your opinion on politics or religion, so keep it off of social media!)
2. Personal conversations (you also wouldn't go into an interview and tell them all about personal issues, so why share it online?)
3. Photos of you (or your friends) drinking, wearing revealing clothing, or doing inappropriate things (so start untagging, my little gen-Y's!)
4. Confidential information (that goes for personal things as well as information about your previous employers)
5. Negative comments (I'm sure this goes without saying, but online bullying, or anything of that negative nature, is really not okay. Like my mama always said, if you have nothing nice to say, then say nothing at all!)
6. Any posts that would make you seem untrustworthy, lazy, immature, or overzealous
I also suggest NOT linking profiles together (e.g. when you post on Instagram and it shows up on Twitter because your two profiles are linked). I use Twitter for my professional life, but Instagram for my personal life (my Instagram is set to private). Although I'm not posting inappropriate things on Instagram, I don't want photos of my dog or last night's dinner showing up on my Twitter account. It's definitely important to be aware that if you link your profiles together, what you share in one social media world can be seen in an other. Don't forget it!
Try to focus on posts that enhance your better self. Create relevant profiles that include your work experience, volunteer experience, or personal achievements. LinkedIn is an excellent tool to display your work experience, and everything you would want an employer to know about you professionally. Blogging is an other great way to display engaging content that represents who you are, and Google+ can be a great tool for connecting with others.
If you are adamant about keeping your social media sites the way they are, consider using an alias name, or changing your privacy settings to make it difficult for others to look you up. Also, remember that most employers will check up on you on social media sites. Be sure to not call in sick then go out partying that night, or you might find yourself fired by Monday morning. Honesty is the best policy, and reliability is key.
So, at the end of the day, remember that it isn't oversharing that will hurt you, it's sharing things that will make you look like a bad hire that will come to bite you in the butt!
Comment below, and let me know your thoughts. Do you have any other suggestions for using social media effectively?
Rebecca
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