As Americans, we love our social media. Everything we do, every life experience we have, every fun moment is captured. Our social media says a lot about who we are, even if some of it isn’t true. Let’s face it, we have an image to uphold whether that image is based on fact or little bit of fiction. What you may not realize is, your social media posts can come back to haunt you.
Around 70% of employers use social media to screen certain job candidates. CareerBuilder says around 57% of bosses found things in potential prospects social media that eventually led them to turn down an applicant. So, if you’ve ever been turned down for jobs before and wondered why, take a look at your Facebook and Instagram.
You’re being watched by everyone. What you post online can make or break your career. This can be anything from pictures, what you dress, whether you have any extremist political or religious views, and so much more. Every word in every picture is scrutinized. So, let’s take a look at some of the social media rules for job hunting.
1) Did You Have a Wild Night Out? Keep It Off Social Media!
We might think that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with going out one night and cutting it loose. We like to have fun! What we do at night outside of work hours should not be the business of employer. Yet, many scenarios have played out where an employer turned down the potential applicant due to “incriminating” pictures on social media.
We might think this is wrong, but imagine how it looks from their point of view. Would a serious employer want to hire someone that appears to be a party animal? Who seems to always be drinking? Again, this might not sound very fair, but it is from their point of view. The golden rule then is to be more conservative with what you post online.
2) Dirty Jokes Can Be a Potential Problem
We certainly understand that you have a sense of humor. Maybe your friends and family get it, but 40% of employers don’t find that dirty joke funny. In fact, it might lead them to believe that there is a deeper problem with hiring you. If you’re going to come in to work and say dirty jokes, that can lead to someone else filing for sexual harassment.
Not everyone has the same sense of humor you do. Whatever you do, don’t post it on your social media. Plus, we can see today how much things have changed. Jokes made 10 years ago are coming to surface today is costing people their jobs. With this being said, you should go through and clean out your social media. If they can find it, they most certainly will use it against you.
3) Don’t Boast About Drug Use
This point doesn’t even have to be about illegal drugs. If a potential employer sees you talking about how you’re on Vicodin, that can work against you. If you’re sharing a conversation about marijuana use, even if it’s legal in your state, you probably won’t get hired. Again, these are things you should keep to yourself and off your social media for very obvious reasons.
4) Don’t Trash the Boss
This is a big one. Even if it’s a previous boss, don’t get online and write a scathing criticism or review. You may want to really bad, but it can work against you in the future. A potential employer can look at that as a problem down the line if things don’t work out with you. You write a scathing review of them in the company? It may not be worth it to them.
