Remember that night, where we all went out and partied and had a great time? Yeah, everyone does, it's all over Facebook. There is a video of drunk dancing on the dance floor, and someone got that embarrassing bathroom shot.
Social media is not just for friends anymore. Employers are taking their first look at employees by checking out their social media accounts. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, they are all liable to search you out and look at who you are. If they see things they don't like, they don't have to hire you. The best part of all of it is, you won't even know. You get the all-encompassing letter that says, thank you for your interest but we have found someone with better qualifications for the job.
Freedom of speech they cry! Here is the rub on that, yes, you have freedom of speech. What you do not have is freedom from consequences. We have seen many stories in the media lately about celebrities being blacklisted because of something they have said. They had every right to say it, they also have to deal with the consequences of their words.
How can you fix it?
Here are are a few tips.
The infamous selfie.
Get rid of any pictures that you wouldn't want your current boss or future boss to see. If your profile pic has you spilling out of it, that does not help people take you seriously.
Timeline settings.
Change them so it asks your permission to post the pictures you have been tagged in. This allows you some control over what people see on your page, and even if they tag you it will not be forever on your timeline.
"Sick Days."
The sick day that you took and then went to a game. Do not post the game on Facebook. Better yet, go ahead and leave it there, a person who does things like that should not get the job.
Choose your friends wisely.
If you accept just any friend request because you want to grow your "followers," think again. Those friends are the ones who hack your information and the information of those around you. An employer does not want a security risk.
Be You!
If you are going to be on social media, be the same person you are in person. Social media is full of people trying to fool others on who they are. When an employer meets you and then sees your social media picture, they want to see the same person, not a made up computer image of someone.
Social media can be a great tool to network with others and make new friends. It can also be what can get you fired. Most employers now have a social media policy in place, and what you say can hurt you. Remember when going from your last year of college to job seeking that the person you have been portraying on social media for the last 4 years is the person you new employer is going to see. Who you portray is up to you.
