Today, the vast majority of adults are on at least one social media platform. As a result, companies review profiles to learn more about candidates. Professionals also use their accounts to connect with others working in their field, allowing them to craft a strong network.
When your profile is publicly accessible or you choose to connect with coworkers, mentors, or other like-minded professionals, you are exposing your posts. Anything you write, like, or share can be viewed and, if the content is inappropriate or controversial, there can be consequences.
In fact, some people have even been terminated over posts on their social media account. If you want to make sure you aren’t putting yourself at risk, here are some tips about how to manage your social media presence in 2019.
First and foremost, it’s wise to see how exposed you are online and take steps to limit who can access your personal accounts. One way to begin is by Googling yourself and seeing which profiles show up on the lists. This lets you know what others can view by simply dumping your details into a search engine.
Next, look at what people who aren’t part of your network can or cannot view. Often, the easiest way to do this is to either sign out of your accounts or use a browser that you don’t typically use for social media. Since you aren’t signed in, you won’t gain direct access to your profile. Instead, you get to view what anyone can see who isn’t part of your network. This can alert you to the possible need to update your privacy settings, particularly if more is viewable than you’d like.
Then, you can make decisions about potential changes. For example, you might want to adjust your privacy settings to limit who can see various parts of your personal profiles. Alternatively, deleting specific posts, vetting your connections, and other steps may be necessary if you want to leave your account public.
If you want to determine whether information on your social media accounts can harm your career, you need to examine a few areas. Usually, it’s best to start with your posts, as these are direct reflections of how you are presenting yourself, at least online.
Look at all of your content (including writing, images, and videos) and see if any of it is inappropriate or controversial. This includes statements like, “I hate my job,” as well as any posts where you share information about a company that might be proprietary or negative.
Additionally, examine the posts to see if they incidentally showcase a detail that you don’t want to be known by employers or colleagues, such as religious or political affiliations. Then, do the same thing with content you may have liked or shared, as these are also connected to your profile. You should also take a moment to see if you are tagged in photos on other people’s profiles, as those can show up in search results as well.
It is also wise to review any current members of your network to determine if they may be deemed inappropriate or controversial, or if they reveal any personal information you would prefer to keep private. For example, following certain figures might come with various implications, so you need to consider that as well.
When in doubt, it’s usually best to delete the content or, at the absolute minimum, restrict who can view it. That way, it won’t impact your professional life.
If you would like to learn more about managing your social media accounts as a working professional, the staff at TRC Staffing Services can help. Contact us to speak with a member of our team today and see how our online presence expertise can benefit you.