In the past, Human Resources depended on Character References to know more about a potential employee. So, the best way to make a good impression is to site references who will tell the company that you are worth hiring. Nowadays, all HR has to do is Google you up and wa-lah! They know you just had a Raspberry Cheesecake Mocha Frappuccino with extra whipped cream and cinnamon dolce syrup at Starbucks yesterday at 4:30pm #blessed.
With all the freedom we have with our personal accounts, we forget that it does affect how other people perceive us. It’s not bad to express ourselves through our personal social media accounts- it is what it was originally made for anyway- but we have to set a limit to what we share. Keep it to what’s relevant and not just something to fuel your vanity. Sometimes, this oversharing will cost us something great (ie the job we needed).
Worry not, readers, there is a way to keep your social media account personal yet conservative without having to create a whole new profile just to hide your very quirky personality.
- Limit your audience
If you’re the type to post a lot of your thoughts, it’s best to keep your profile private. Most social media sites offer an option to limit your audience to those connected to you only. Use that feature to avoid having certain people see things they aren’t supposed to know about you – YET.
- Think before posting
Before you click that post button, you should really ponder on whether or not it is necessary to do so. Would you not regret reading it after a month? If future employers find it, would it give the impression that you are not very professional? Is it really important that you have to post it? Think about it.
- Minimize posting about the same events
Okay, so, you were at Maldives last week. You post your pictures from the trip. Alright, no problem there, you enjoyed the place and wanted to share it. But if you post one pic every day with #missingMaldives, you’re obviously just bragging. It doesn’t make you look rich, it makes you look like you want attention so bad you have to keep asking for it.
- Do not post private information
Do NOT show people important ID numbers, private explicit photos of you and your partner, and other things that only YOU should see. By posting these important things, you are exposing yourself to trouble (ie identity theft, pornographic content etc)
- Do NOT engage in fights/hate on social media
The public posts that you comment on can be read by other people. By engaging in petty fights on forums and articles, you are simply showing other people that you are not above whoever you are arguing with.
Take note of these simple reminders for a more engaging social media experience that would also keep you from being potentially rejected by future employers. Good luck!
