Social Media Can Ruin Your Career
Social media offers people a lot of opportunities. Many people jumpstart their businesses online or use networking sites to find lucrative jobs. Others use social media irresponsibly, often posting shady content that can cost them jobs or opportunities to move up the ladder. Follow these guidelines to avoid ruining your career.
Don’t Derail Your Career
Employers often see job offers as confidential matters. Current employees may revolt over outside hiring or get upset if the offer has a higher salary. After all, a job offer isn’t a sure thing. One woman posted about her job offer. She was excited about the high salary but confessed online that she was only planning to keep the job until something better came along. The employer saw the post and withdrew the offer.
Complaining About the Boss
Nearly everyone complains about the boss at one time or another. Complaining in public is a foolish thing to do, even if you think your accounts are private. The complaint could cost you a promotion or even your job. At the least, it could ruin a good working relationship. If the post is seen by a future boss, you might not get the job.
Using Text Language
Many people use abbreviations and text language on social media sites. Although it seems to be an accepted thing, a future employer might not appreciate the poor spelling or grammar. A report states that 66 percent of employers judge a person based on spelling and grammar.
Posting Thoughtless Comments
People love to debate on social media platforms. Topics could include politics, religion, last night’s ballgame or anything in the news. You should avoid posting any comments that could be considered thoughtless or provocative if you are looking for a new job. The post could come back to bite you.
Posting Sketchy Photos
Once a picture is posted online, it’s on the Internet forever. This can also be said for iPhone text messages. Sketchy photos include racy selfies, drunken escapades, or anything that might make an employer or client think twice about hiring you. This is one reason why many professionals (lawyers, teachers, political officials, police officers, doctors, etc.) don’t have social media profiles. One report told the story of a teacher who posted a harmless photo of herself on vacation. She had visited a brewery and was shown holding a glass of beer. A student’s parent reported the post to school officials and the teacher lost her job, damaging her career.
If professionals do post online, the content is often curated and carefully reviewed to protect their reputations. Some say if you’d be embarrassed to let your grandmother see it, keep it private.
Mocking Your Clients
Mocking about your clients may be worse than complaining about your boss. It doesn’t matter if you are a server or a CEO. Clients are the people that put money in your pocket. Mocking them online shows disrespect and can cost you money…or your job.
Proceed with Caution
Some people don’t care what they post online. That’s fine if it won’t affect their careers. For those that want to move up or maintain a professional image, they should proceed with caution when putting themselves out in public.
And remember if you’re ever in a situation where you’re being harassed by someone use a caller ID app for iPhone to identify and report them.
