The career-ending potential of social media.

Social Media Might Ruin Your Career

Given the widespread usage of social media, it is not unexpected that businesses have pounced at the chance to join well-known online networks in order to engage with their customers and use the information supplied to more effectively market their products and services. Social media is being used more frequently in our everyday lives. Many people have a habit of checking their phones and social media accounts as soon as they wake up. We routinely use our real names in bars, broadcast our thoughts and beliefs, share our plans for the weekend and photographs, and these things eventually become public knowledge just like viral videos.

Recruitment processes have also moved to social media as a result of the availability of this information and the growing popularity of professional networking. This brings up the concern of how its use can impact prospective future employment opportunities.

60% of employers used social networking sites in 2016, rising dramatically from 11% in 2006, 22% in 2008, and 52% in the year before. This is supported by a yearly study on hiring practises on social media. It is vital to make sure that the information displayed is what you want them to see but that it is working for you rather than against you because employers routinely run online background checks on potential employees.

Keep your personal and professional lives apart.

If we choose to engage in any social media activity, we should be conscious of how our actions may affect our work lives because social media is highly public. Anything you post online is probably going to be at odds with other people's opinions. On the other hand, tensions could rise if you call in ill while your coworkers could see on social media that you partied with friends just hours ago.

It's extremely likely that recruiters, hiring managers, or even coworkers may look you up on social media even though we may dislike the notion or disagree with it. It makes sense that you would want to know as much as you can about the people you work with. The secret to successfully straddling the border between business and personal life is adhering to a few basic rules. Decide what you will and won't disclose, and set some boundaries. Be cautious about who uses the platform and what your privacy settings may do to control your profile. Think about your online persona and the information you want to share on a regular basis.

Having a career ruined by social media?

You need to be consistent with your actions and words in public places like social media. If you want to be able to express your ideas on many topics, you must do this. 96% of employers and recruiters use social media to screen applications, according to a 2016 Recruiter Nation research. Several of their major pet peeves? illicit drug references, coarse language, errors in syntax and spelling, suggestions of utilising weapons, etc.

Social media is undoubtedly here to stay. Along with being excellent for building personal connections, it may also be used to advance your professional goals. If you give your social media presence and actions some thought, you can realise huge rewards. It might hold the secret to your upcoming important career move. In relation to it, a recent survey showed that the majority of the surveyed employees maintained active social media presence. Some of the most well-liked ones are listed below:

How Important Are Your Social Media Accounts to Employers?

They actually do. Employers and recruiting managers are accessing social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, more frequently when making decisions. Forbes reports that over a third of companies screen potential hires using social media profiles. And as more people use it, this number will only rise.

You often use social networking sites to go through old pictures and postings from your friends. But do companies actually have the time to look for current workers and potential candidates on social media? They do, in fact. Before considering how to utilise social media to get your next job, make sure your presence isn't unintentionally hurting your career.

Employers carefully examine your social media accounts in addition to phoning your references and confirming your credentials to see if you would fit in with the team. It won't be in your favour if you routinely publish sarcastic things with a fairly negative tone when an employer is trying to get a more thorough picture of you as a potential hiring beyond the one-dimensional résumé.

Let's explore some of the implications social media may have on your job in the parts that follow. Experts from all across the internet agree that the following errors should be avoided if you want social networking to work for you rather than against you.

5+ Mistakes that Could Destroy Your Career.

Social networking should, in theory, make your job search easier. Connecting with future employers, employees, recruiters, HR executives, coworkers, and commentators is simple and easy. Almost everything there is to know about the groups that most interest you may be learned. By instantly emailing your résumé, personal website, and more, you may increase the reach of your unique social media "brand."

What if, though, you're misusing social media? What if your current or future employer discovered that emotional or political outburst you posted for your "friends" to view, for instance? Here are some precautions you can take:

1. Marketing your Job Search.

Making overt statements about your wish to leave your current employer and using social media wisely to look for new job opportunities do not go together. If you want to make big changes to your profile and engage with recruiters there, you might want to turn off your status updates so your current employer won't find out.

2. Disclose Secret Information.

Unintentionally disclosing your company's trade secrets might be as easy as posting an update on how upset you are with a deal, undertaking, or promotion that didn't work out. Employees frequently aren't aware of how their personal and professional lives intersect or how seemingly private updates can reveal sensitive business information.

3. using foul language, harassing others, and trolling.

Anonymity is no longer a reality on the internet. Provocative or divisive information is a definite way to get fired, as was already said, especially in light of the fact that businesses are legally required to support a diverse and courteous workplace.

4. Complaints about your job.

Unhappy with a coworker, customer, management, or the company in general? It's best to communicate privately. Be very cautious about what you post online since there can be consequences and you might even get yourself into trouble at work.

5. Avoid Posting When Working.

It should go without saying that if you called in sick, you shouldn't share pictures of your dog walks on social media. Using social media at work could also reflect poorly on you as an employee. Are you blogging or using Facebook during working hours when you shouldn't be? If your boss or a disgruntled coworker finds out, you can get a warning or have to meet with HR.

6. Posting Dangerous Pictures.

A picture really does say a thousand words. Alcoholism, drug usage, and images that are plainly obscene or objectionable could harm your reputation and employment prospects.

How to Present Yourself Online While Job Searching? 

The way you display yourself online is the most crucial element. Social media's potentially harmful effects on job prospects have drawn a lot of attention. However, social networking can also be helpful. Almost one-third of employers, according to a survey, recruited a candidate as a consequence of anything positive they found on the applicant's web profile. The key? First, arrange your profile. Next, use social media creatively to give yourself a competitive edge when looking for a job. Knowing how something can benefit you and its significance is one thing, Let's look at how we can replicate that below:

1. Make a good first impression.

It's a great idea to develop a pleasant, impressive internet presence that will stick out to potential employers who decide to look you up. This involves writing blogs and online articles, maintaining a professional Twitter account, taking part in online forums, and leaving relevant blog comments.

2. Ensure that you are knowledgeable of your connections.

Networking is now much more feasible and easy thanks to social media. When establishing a professional presence, it might be easy to connect with everyone who requests it. However, make sure that anybody you link with is someone you want to have access to your profile. Make certain that every person you add as a contact has a job that fits the description of what you're searching for in a professional setting.

3. Utilize suitable profile pictures.

An appropriate profile picture could really help and give a good first impression. By using the same image throughout all of your social media channels, you can create a standard and become instantly recognised in all of the relevant content you want people to see.

4. Review the data that is accessible.

Even though it can seem straightforward, you should be aware of the specific information that could be made public if someone searches Google or a social network on your behalf. The privacy and accessibility settings on several social networking platforms have changed dramatically, making formerly private posts and images now viewable.

5. Update your privacy settings frequently.

This complements what was expressed earlier quite well. Reduce the number of out-of-date postings and check the alternatives people have to find you. Consider whether the tweets you are posting on your personal Twitter account are appropriate for a prospective employer to see.

Conclusion

The lesson of the tale is that you should be conscious of social media's enormous power. Even if you don't say anything, anything you post there has an impact on your network. Remember that you determine what other people can see. By being more judicious about what you publish or by adjusting the platform settings when it is possible, you may manage your digital footprint to increase the possibility that a prospective employer will have a positive impression of you. You can take precautions to preserve your privacy and restrict who can view what, but it is ultimately up to you. It is therefore ideal if you treat your use of social media seriously.

FAQs.

1. In what ways do social media sites influence job decisions?

The use of social media by employers throughout the hiring process presents benefits for job seekers as well as potential concerns. Before considering how you can use your online profile to find your next job, make sure it isn't unintentionally hurting your career.

2. How might social media advance your career?

The following activities can be done on social media to promote your career:

• Discover new ideas and industry trends
• Increase your audience's involvement and productivity
• Draw attention to your work to make it easier to find a job.
• Increase your brand's visibility and recognition.

3. What are a few benefits of social media?

• Broad audience
• Close proximity to the audience
• Producing organic content is possible.
• Services for paid advertising
• Brand development
• Promotional website to attract visitors