Be mindful of what you post online …
… or it could jump up and bite you on the butt!
Let’s face it, if you have Facebook, Twitter, or a blog [any kind of presence online, really] people are reading it! That’s the point right, but are you mindful of who is actually listening? It’s not just your friends folks, it’s potential employers, clients and business partners as well. I wanted to blog about this topic because many of my online friends are venting constantly, swearing or worse … saying way too much about their lives. I get it, I really do! But watch out, the people you don’t want to listen, ARE.
A good friend of mine [and happens to be a job recruiter in the area] and I were having a conversation over drinks one night and she’d mentioned she’s using the Web to evaluate prospects. She says she’s looking at Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn updates for a personal “taste” of what the potential employee is like. It’s nothing new. In fact, a survey by the Electronic Recruiter Exchange found 60 percent of its members checked LinkedIn as part of the job checking process. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people online aren’t really thinking about what they say online. For example, even if you’re account is set to private, people can still find out what you’re saying on Facebook.
People talk about personal issues - divorce, sick parents, recovery programs, and bad relationships at work, etc. My friend says, and I quote, “If someone is having a big issue in life, are we you really going to take that chance and hire them?” Interesting comment I thought.
In my opinion, if you’re going to complain about how dumb your boss is and how much you hate your job, keep those rants private. The Internet is public domain and comments have a way of finding their way back to all the wrong people. I look at it this way; if you wouldn’t stand outside your boss’s office and tell a co-worker how ready you are to quit, don’t express the same thoughts in an open forum.
In the business of networking, people know people. You really have to find out what you want your social media face to be [I wrote a post on personal branding months ago – that covers what this means]. If you use that concept wisely, you’ll be in the clear.
With that said, every tweet, status update or post is being actively indexed by search engines. Just be mindful of what you put out there because it could jump up and bite you in the butt.
I’m curious. How many of you agree with me? Please write a comment. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
