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We have seen it way too often. Mainly occurring in the public eye with celebrities and high profile politicians. Social media career self-destruction. This can and must be avoided to keep your job. With the internet exposing every facet of our lives, follow these simple steps to stay out of hot water.
Congressman Anthony Weiner of New York recently posted some explicit pictures of himself on his Twitter account. Had he followed these simple steps, this would not have been an issue and his career would not be in dire straights. Rashard Mendenhall of the Pittsburgh Steelers recently tweeted about his feelings on the death of Usama bin Laden and the 9/11 attacks. These are examples of how one mistake can make you social pariah. However, the principles to protect these high profile individuals are the same you should follow while managing your Facebook, Myspace and Twitter accounts to protect your career. Employment policies around these topics are evolving as we speak. Soon enough these guidelines will be in every office.
1. Do Not Curse
This is a very simple thing to follow. Save the language of sailors for closed doors- not wide-open media outlets.
2. Do Not Post Pictures Impulsively
Sometimes you may think this picture is interesting to your followers on twitter or friends on Facebook. However, you never know whose hands that picture could eventually get in. Further, you never know what is on your camera and a mass upload could put you or someone else in hot water. Make this a well thought out process.
3. Avoid Controversial Topics
Of course your opinion is important to your friends, followers and coworkers. But sometimes it is best to keep it to yourself in case you might upset one person in your office on those topics that have deep, lasting effects. Avoid posting on your account about race, gender, sexuality, horrible terrorist attacks, etc… you know what I mean.
4. Separate Work From Play
You most likely have friends in the office. Most of them have social media profiles as well. If you have skeletons (inappropriate material) on your Facebook account, create a new account and keep it PC or get rid of those skeletons. Add your work friends, clients and colleagues to this account and do not give them a reason to question your professionalism.
5. Second Thoughts; You Probably Shouldn’t Post It
For those who are new to what seconds thoughts mean, usually that is your conscious telling you something may be wrong with the decision you are about to make. Why risk your job and reputation for a simple wall-post on Facebook or one Tweet.
6. Ask Yourself, What Would Mama Think?
Who is the best moral character in your life? Would they approve of your behavior on these sites? What would your boss do if he saw this? Ask these questions to yourself when interacting on these websites. Make sure you run your social media actions through these filters. After a while, this thought process will become second nature.
7. Lastly, Less Is More
Sometimes the people who never get in trouble are those who never get involved with the game. When it’s tough not to be part of these social media giants (I get it, Facebook has over 500 million users), keep it simple and keep it PC. Don’t overdue it and lose your job.
Always remember, you do not want to give your company a reason to fire you over a reason you can control. It is always better to fault on the side of caution.