Is Social Media Preventing You From Advancing at Work?

social media

Whether you’re looking for a new job, negotiating for more pay or responsibility, or seeking to make the transition to a management or leadership position … whether you’re fresh out of college or grad school, in mid-career status, or navigating the final years of your professional life … your presence on social media makes up a large component of your overall professional “brand,” and, as such, holds the power to advance your brand in either a positive or negative way.

Employers and colleagues are increasingly aware of the social media activity of their colleagues and potential new hires and using social media to make crucial human resources decisions like hiring, firing, promoting, and demoting. For example, last year, a study by CareerBuilder found that 70% of employers screen the social media accounts of potential new employees, which is at an all-time high!

Here are the BIGGEST MISTAKES employees make on social media that are preventing them from getting ahead at work:

Inappropriate content

Questionable, provocative, negative, or just overall inappropriate photos, videos, shares, likes, re-tweets, or posts tell a story to a potential employer or colleague about who you are and how you operate. Erase anything from your social media history that could be taken the wrong way or harm your professional brand.

Incomplete or outdated profiles

If your social profiles, especially on professional networking sites, are outdated and full of incorrect or missing information, employers might perceive this as a kind of “digital laziness.” If you have a professional profile, make sure it’s always current and accurate, including updated contact information.

No presence at all

It’s rare nowadays not to be on at least one or two social sites. If you’re not, that’s fine, but you may want to consider joining a professional networking site to show your employer you’re not too “out of touch” and that you are engaged in (or at least aware of) some of the things happening on social within your field, industry or sector, or area of specialization.

In fact, in that same CareerBuilder study, 57% of employers said they are less likely to request an interview from a job candidate if they can’t find their social profile online.

Bashing employers or colleagues

This is one of the most unprofessional activities you can do on social media. Even if your account is private, people talk, and there is always a chance that your negative posts will be relayed, shared, captured on screen shot, or, at the very least, talked about.

And, this extends to researchers or teachers who may feel inclined to complain about students, interns, or research assistants on social media. Even if you maintain anonymity for the person you’re talking about, you will likely still come across as a complainer, condescending, reckless, and unprofessional.

And if you get caught, it could be a job-ender. Why take the risk (and potentially look like a jerk in the process)? Save the funny stories, anecdotes, and complaints for face-to-face conversations.

Too political/controversial

While this may not be as important to some positions as others, it’s a good idea to know your audience so you can gauge how your highly political or sensitive posts might come across to colleagues, your employer, or a potential employer.

If you do engage in political posts and the like, try to communicate in a common sense way that won’t offend potential employers who don’t share your politics: be informed, remain dignified, don’t “rant,” pay attention to your privacy settings and who is viewing your content, and know your audience (for example, don’t get highly political on professional networking sites.)

Anything that indicates poor judgement or bad character

From an employer’s perspective if you can’t be bothered to remove any content from your social media channels that indicates poor judgment or character, you either 1) don’t care that it’s out there or 2) can’t tell the difference between offensive/non-offensive content. Either of those scenarios are major red flags for a potential employer.

But social media can work in your favor on the job market. Instead, here’s WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING to proactively use your social media accounts to advance your career and optimize your professional brand:

Compliment your Resume

Think of your social media presence not just in social (friends and family) terms but also as an extension or even a continuation of your resume and cover letter. While it’s not the first thing an employer likely looks at, like your resume/CV, it is undoubtedly a key part of your wider identity (again, your “brand”) as a professional that can offer an added layer of depth and insight into your profile as a candidate in a way the written documents just can’t.

Make meaningful connections

This is where the power of social media to propel your career and bolster your professional brand really shines through.To take full advantage, do the following:

  • Join and follow relevant professional organizations/associations
  • Engage in thoughtful conversations with colleagues and influencers in your field
  • Share and comment on content that is relevant to your job/industry and will reflect well on your brand as a job candidate
  • Stay updated on industry news and important announcements from relevant organizations or people

Follow influencers, SMEs and leaders in your field

Use social media to stay aware of big things that people are talking about or doing in your field. While a Facebook post doesn’t take the place of substantive research on a complex topic, keeping an eye on what’s trending in your area is a great way to stay informed and engaged professionally.

Networking

Don’t forget the “social” part of social media. Use your channels to personally reach out to potential colleagues and employers. Engage in good “digital networking” practices like sharing or commenting on other people’s content, having meaningful conversations over private message (that may lead to a face-to-face meeting), asking for recommendations or introductions while also giving them, or sharing news, updates, and invites that your network will find interesting and relevant.

Employer Research

When you’re researching a potential employer, seeing what they’re doing across social media is an excellent way to get a more personal or well-rounded idea of the company. You’ll likely get more of a sense of current topics (like events, news, business priorities, even company culture or leadership insights) from an updated social media news feed than you might from their website’s static homepage or “about” section.

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