Reppler, a social media monitoring service, reports that 91 percent of employers use channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin to assess a prospective hire. Social medic profiles might give more information about a job-seeker’s personality and character than they imagine. Even passing remarks can be misinterpreted. You have the right to comment on controversial issues and to use profanity, but remember that the person who picks it up may object to such uses of the language.
If you want personal information kept private, don’t splash it on a post or tweet sites. If it’s something you probably wouldn’t tell anyone except a very good friend, you probably don’t want to share it with someone who is considering you for a job. And it may not even be you who makes the less-than-acceptable comment. What your friends have to say about you on social media could have an effect. Screen those you intend to interact with on social media and block those whose comments could hurt you if read by others.
Security features on social media applications change often. Stay current if you want to know how private your information is. Police your sites and lock down information as you feel it to be necessary.
If you comment negatively on your boss or the job, expect that it might become public. Even if the individual you have made the negative comments about is not on your list of friends, he or she may become aware through gossip. Maybe it can’t be easily traced back to you, but text is hard to discredit. Better be safe than sorry and unemployed.
On the positive side, social media can be very valuable in networking with others in your field. Share your ideas through industry-based groups and organizations. Logs and websites can help in the job hunt.
Social media obviously is not going away anytime soon, so expect that more aspects of your life, including your job, could become public. Just use caution to ensure that it doesn’t become a negative factor in that important phase of your life.