Your Social Media Content Now Influences Your Professional Career Later

We love and obsess over technology. Our lives revolve around social media and we often post and share content that is questionable on its appropriateness. Why? What is the obsession with sharing everything about your life on your social media profiles with friends, family and even potential employers? College students are especially guilty of this bad habit. I witness unsuitable content plastered on every social media platform from some of even my closest friends. The selfie you post with a beer in your hand is a problem if you are under the age of 21 and is fairly distasteful even if you are above the legal drinking age. Posting about your hangover the next day after a night out is not what potential employers are looking for in a job candidate and your family back home is really not interested in hearing about your drunk exploits. 

Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ offer many job seekers the opportunity to learn about companies they are interested in working for, network with a large pool of professionals and stay informed on job openings. These social media sites also allow employers to get a glimpse of the kind of person you are instead of solely basing their judgment on your resume or initial interview. Employers now use social networks more than ever before to research potential job candidates. In a survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com, 37% of employers said they use social networks to screen potential job candidates. What does this mean? Approximately two in five companies view your social media profiles to evaluate your character and personality. Some employer’s even base their hiring decision on what they find on your personal profiles.

If you choose to share content publicly on social media, make sure the content is appropriate and a good representation of a professionally conscious individual. Once posted online, it cannot be undone. Even if you delete a post or photo that you later rethink, the content will always be available online. Your uploaded content is permanent. Not all college students are thinking about how their social media profiles can influence their future successes or failures in the professional world. Utilize social media. 

Don’t air your dirty laundry for everyone to see via social media. If you are going to take the time to post content, make it content that highlights your accomplishments and qualifications, not content that points out your unprofessionalism and heavy drinking weekend plans. Make your content something your future employers find interesting and appropriate. Positive content will evoke positive responses from these employers scanning your social media profiles. Always be conscious of the content you are sharing on social media. You will thank yourself in the future!