Career Development: Social Media/LinkedIn

SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUETTE

According to a 2020 survey by The Harris Poll, 71% of hiring decision-makers agree social media is effective for screening applicants. The truth is that many employers are looking at your social media. Make sure what you put out there is something you'd be comfortable with your next boss seeing! 

Things Students Should Never Do on Social Media

• Post photos or content surrounding illegal activities.
• Post media that promotes bullying.
• Trash talk your teachers or current employers.
• Use inappropriate or obscene profile pictures.
• Post emotionally charged, distressing rants about love or life using obscene language or details.
• Post inappropriate media while at the work place.
• If you do not want to censor your social media platforms, then make all accounts private and have appropriate profile pictures. Keep in mind the internet keeps record of all previous posts, and sometimes you can still find private content. So, it's safest to keep your content professional. 

Essential Steps to Safeguard your Social Media

• Get rid of any negative posts and pictures, both those you've posted and the ones you're tagged in. 
• Remember that the internet is one big public record. Think, “Do I really want to post this?”
• Set up a Google alert for your name so that when a picture that’s been tagged or any mention of your name comes up on Google, you know first. For athletes, know that many NCAA sports teams are doing this as well.
• Never fully rely on privacy settings. Use good judgement!
• Use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn to follow your favorite organizations and gain valuable information on their companies.
• Use a professional photo as your profile picture when job searching.