Sites like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter put our lives under a microscope. Even when our settings are on private, there is the potential that our personal information is at risk.
Any one of your friends could pull your “private” profile up on their phone and show their friends, or worst case, your employer.
We all have a right to privacy to some extent, but when our Internet life stops being private, the consequences can be ruthless. They don’t just check LinkedIn anymore, employers are becoming exceptionally tech savvy.
Managers want someone who is professional and can represent their brand well. A displayed lack of professionalism in your social media posts can taint your relationship with your current or future employer. If your future boss sees that many of your posts involve slang and you “typ3 lyk d!s,” it could be the red flag that crushes your chances with that company. Attitude is also very important to employers because who wants a “negative Nelly” on their team? Constantly posting rude or ill-mannered comments could reflect poorly on yourself, which can be a red flag for businesses looking to hire.
While you may think that ranting on Facebook about how much your manager sucks is a safe place to do so, it would probably be better if you didn’t.
Better safe than sorry, right?
While lacking an online presence could show that you are behind, it is important to be aware of what goes online. If a friend or peer posts an unflattering picture, it would be best to ask them to take it down. If worse comes to worst, you can always report it and ask that it be taken down by the site itself.
A safe test to determine what should or should not go on your social media page is to ask yourself,“would I want my parents to see this?” If you answered no, it’s probably better to leave that post out.
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