How social media could ruin your career

“Don’t tell everybody everything about your life and all your problems on the Internet!”

Heard this before?

Are you thinking, “They don’t understand freedom of expression, you SHOULD be able to post anything you want whenever you want”?

Well, the truth is, what you post online can affect your career! That’s because once something is out there on the internet, there is no getting it back, EVEN if you delete it, there is always a chance someone shared it or will find it.

The fastest way to end your career, before it has even started, is to post inappropriate content on your social media platforms. You may be surprised to know that employers research you online before they invite you for an interview. And this could very well be why you are not getting invited to any interview.

It doesn’t mean you have to stop being who you are!

Yes, everyone has their off days where you feel like venting and sometimes social media seems like the perfect place to let your frustrations out. Or sometimes you just want to be funny and you post photos of you and your friends drunk for example. But remember that social media is a public platform and people can see what you post.

So use this general rule of thumb in future: If you wouldn’t show your grandma the post, you mustn’t post it online. That’s right, grandma is your benchmark. Because if she would find it acceptable, the chances are your future employer would too.

Apply this to all social media: Google Plus, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snap Chat and any other platform.

Now, think about how you could encourage employers to invite you to interviews…

What if you used social media as a tool to get you further in your career?

You can start a blog on what you learn about your specific field of interest and share it with others so you look like an expert in your field.

You can also use social media to start building your professional network.

You can even tell your friends via social media that you’re looking for a job and they could share it, speeding up your job-hunting!

Wow, what a tool social media could really be if you use it wisely!

It could be a door-opener for you…