3 Helpful Facebook Tips That Can You Save Professional Image
Annabelle recently applied for a position with this amazing company. The job description appeared to be a great match for Annabelle’s educational background and work experience.
She updated her resume and cover letter to match the job description and even hired a coach to help her improve her interview skills. Annabelle also made some connections with some key internal people within the organization.
A week later, Annabelle got an interview for the position. She was so excited that she posted it on Facebook saying, “Hey all, I just got an interview with XYZ Company!”
This post was flooded with comments of “congratulations, awesome, and good luck.” And of course, there were a few comments like, “Why are you leaving your current job?”
Annabelle innocently answered with great detail and honesty about how she was unhappy with the office politics and her supervisor’s horrible leadership skills. Several hundred comments and grueling details later, the conversation within the post ended.
Finally, the day of her interview arrived! The hiring manager was so impressed by Annabelle that she asked for her professional references. And one of the references had to be her current supervisor.
Annabelle provided all of her references without evening thinking about her Facebook comments. A week later, she got a phone call from the hiring manager who told Annabelle that she was not selected for the position.
Annabelle was so disappointed because she thought really thought that she had this position in the bag. She asked the hiring manager what was the reason that they didn’t choose her for the position.
The hiring manager said that her current supervisor gave her a poor reference due to some comments that Annabelle made on Facebook. Annabelle thought back to her Facebook responses and her heart sank. She thought to herself, “I will think twice the next time I write anything personal on Facebook.”
The End.
Facebook is a great place to stay connected with people and share some things happening in your life. It is not the place to write personal information that could potentially be used against you later, like in Annabelle’s case.
Here are 3 Helpful Facebook Tips that Can Save Your Professional Image:
- Facebook is not group therapy. I have seen so many people rant and rave about their personal feelings and then get offended by comments from their Facebook friends. Share your feelings in a personal journal instead. It is a safer and more private.
- Avoid gossiping about work-related matters or clients. Gossiping on Facebook can have some severe consequences. You never know who is reading your comments. Be wise and be kind in your posts and comments.
- Limit pictures of yourself that can damage your image. Pictures of you drunk, naked, or anything of the sort is not good for your image as a professional. Think twice before your post and monitor pictures that others tag you in.
Final Thoughts
Social media is an amazing platform that has so many great uses. It can also be damaging to our personal and professional image. There are so many things that could be misinterpreted. When sharing feelings of unhappiness, discontentment, or anger, put them in a private journal or talk to a friend in private. Once it is out in the virtual world, it might be impossible to delete.
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