Be Careful What You Post Online

If your current or future employer was looking at your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter right now, would you be proud of what they can see?   At some point, a lot of us have probably posted a picture or said something online that we may regret.  You know, those party pictures where everyone is holding up their red cups, or those Tweets where you went on a rant about how bad your shift was at work.  Even though we have all heard the fact that what you put online, stays online, forever, the message does not seem to be taken seriously amongst college students.

Employers often go beyond just the application and dig into who you really are by seeing what you post online.  Anything that could be construed as unprofessional, negative or malicious can be used against a person who has social media profiles.  Some people may argue that this violates free speech and that we should be able to post whatever we want, however, this is the digital reality that we live in.  People have been jailed, denied for jobs, and have been reprimanded for social media posts. When scrolling through my Instagram and Facebook feeds, I constantly see people posting pictures holding Bud Lights with their friends (whom are often underage).  Is looking cool really worth the risk?

No matter how impressive your resume may be, if an employer sees your thirsty Thursday shenanigans on Facebook, you may no longer be considered for a job opportunity.  A new survey from CareerBuilder found that 51 percent of employers who research job candidates on social media said they’ve found content that caused them to not hire the candidate.  Even if your profile is set to private, whatever you post may not be just for your friends and family to see.  According to a 2012 Chron.com article, reports emerged of public agencies asking job candidates for their Facebook passwords so as they could have a proper snoop around their profiles. Knowing these facts, it is important to be mindful of your digital footprint because what happens in college does not necessarily stay in college.

I have always found this topic very important, especially after experiencing first-hand digital snooping.  My supervisor at my summer job admitted to me that she had 12 candidates for my job position and looked up everyone online before making her hiring decision.  If I had inappropriate posts on my Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, I probably would not have been hired.   If this has happened to me it can happen to anybody else.

Next time you post a picture, ask yourself: Would you want your mother to see it? Would you want a future boss to see it? Would you want a future boyfriend or girlfriend to see it? Would you want an admissions person from your future grad school to see it? We are not going to be in college forever and what might be fun to post online today may come back to haunt you tomorrow.