In the age of constant information and connectivity, so many people forget that what we put out on the internet can be viewed by just about anyone…including your boss. Employees and college students entering the workforce are especially noticing the effects of social media content on their job. From web searches on an employee’s name, to Facebook pictures of that wild night, or even tweets about work related annoyances, employers are looking to dig up as much information on their staff as possible, especially since the employee is a direct reflection of the integrity of the company.
In a recent post on ResumeBear.com, the site took a much more entertaining approach to reminding job seekers and current employees to mind their P’s and Q’s while using social media tools. 30 Ways to Lose Your Job on Twitter is a hysterical, yet true look at actual tweets made by people about their employers, clients, coworkers, and bosses that could potentially cost them a job if discovered.
Besides being absurd, these examples of employee carelessness also give a word of caution to many social media networkers: people are watching. Now, more than ever, is a time to mind what you’re putting out there, whether it’s positive or negative.
Tweeting or sharing information about great service you received from a company can be a great way to improve that brand’s image, not to mention, persuade other people to utilize that particular company for a product or service. However, if you’re the type of person that uses social media to rant about life, love, and workplace dissatisfaction, keep in mind that all of the information you put out there is easily accessible. You may just be harming your own brand image by airing all of your dirty laundry on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media community.
All images courtesy of ScrewYouRecession.com
I can’t resist a quick reply – As with most things, this sort of thing could be easily fixed by just not being an idiot in the first place. In other words, chances are, if you do something stupid, chances are people will find out whether you post it on twitter, facebook, your blog, your website, your favorite local hangout or bar, or on the wall of a restroom stall. Instead of just being careful what you admit to, try being careful what you actually do. You’ll tend to sleep much better at night! As a matter of fact, with the state of the economy, I would encourage useless people to advertise as much as possible so they can be weeded out and decent people who need the work can be selected for what few jobs there are.
Wow that is an very interesting blog entry . I like your style of writing. Maybe you should write more articles of these type.
[...] Be mindful of your reputation. Just like Facebook, Twitter can be indexed by search engines and found by employers. And yes, Twitter can get you fired. [...]