One of my absolute biggest pet peeves is stumbling across photos on Facebook of someone with a beer in their hand partying it up or finding some other way of posing for the camera inappropriately. Even with Twitter, students will post vulgar comments that they would never say in front of a potential employer. Many students cannot seem to grasp that employers are using our favorite social media sites to check out our backgrounds. Everything posted on the Internet can and will be seen by several people. I've talked to a couple of my friends who don't seem to understand the importance of keeping their social network profiles "work appropriate" and believe it or not, they're not concerned. I suppose they think they'll just delete things once they graduate and are looking for employment. What they don't realize is that once something is posted to the Internet, there is always a way of finding it, even after it has been deleted.
BUT, social media can be used to our advantage. Like Dan Schawbel explains in his article, "How To: Leverage Social Media for Career Success," our online identity through blogs and social networks is how people discover and connect with us (http://on.mash.to/mCwkn). This includes employers. If used correctly, social media can establish a personal brand that can easily be recognized by others. Facebook, Twitter, and other sites should be used as promotion tools - and free promotion at that! The Internet gives us a chance to market ourselves and allow employers to discover us. It all comes down to how you want to represent yourself online, because it could potentially make or break your future career.
I agree with you when you say about those people not being concerned about what they are posting on their social media sites. I don't know if they don't realize that employers are in fact checking these sites or just don't believe THEIR sites will be checked. But as you say it would be foolish not to utilize these sites as tools and use them to our advantage!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I think we should all use social media as a free way to meet and connect with future employers. However, I also know, unfortunately, so many people that do not see the opportunities of these promotion tools. They are actually promoting themselves as everything that employers do not like and want in their company. I totally agree when you explained that once something is posted on the Internet, it will never disappear. So, in this way and for those people, social media websites do hurt their professional lives.
ReplyDeleteYou are exactly right, Katie, it can't be stressed enough that professional life can be destroyed by our personal life through way of Social Media. Social Media such as Facebook and Myspace can harm users professional liives if they have illicit photos of partying scenes or bong photos in their albums. Future jobs may be lost due to a suprise background check.
ReplyDeleteYour friends, along with everyone should be concerned with the content on social media sites. This is something that our generation has taken off with and use as any everyday form of communication, employers know this and know that it is a simple way to get someones "true colors". People are always going to be on their best behavior for an interview but how are they in everyday life? Social media sites give a sneek peek. Just as you mentioned, they are not only bad. If used properly social media sites can be a great way to market yourself to potential employers in a positive light that could make your chances of getting the position higher.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a pet peeve of mine to see someone holding a beer, but since we have to take our own responsiblity or our own actions, I have conditions set for myself. Yes, I agree with you that having alcohol in a picture isn't the best portrayal of oneself. But, if your "of age" to drink and go can do so responsibly (determined by actions in pictures) then I think employeers will look past it. There are employeers that do take part in drinking, so they wont find it offensive as long as the situation in the picture appears controlled and responsible. I do think that if all of someones pictures were with alcohol, they obviously are going look like an irresponsible drunk. The responsible drinker pictures won't necessarily be a deal breaker, but it needs to be a rare image seen in photos. People need to over-extend positive attributes, and minimize distructive ones (like drinkning). I do agree with you that evidence of drinkning is very prevelent on social media sites today.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that people of age shouldn't go out and drink. That's their own preference. I'm saying that there's no need to take pictures of you drinking, then publicly display it. It's unnecessary and whether of age or not, many employers will not look past it. They can make judgments however they please, so why give them anything to hold against you?
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