Social Media Responsibility

It is no secret that the economy is in rough shape these days. Unemployment is hovering around 9.4 percent, which equates to about 5.0 million adults out of work. Others are starting their own small business. In either case, marketers and job seekers are leveraging networking tools such as LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Remember to use good judgement when posting information, or photos about yourself online. This is where most people will tune out and dismiss this as “common sense” and everyone knows this. Guess again.

In a recent article on Mashable they cite that 45% of employers screen social media profiles when considering someone for employment. The article cites a study by Harris Interactive, commissioned by CareerBuilder.com and here is what they found:

• 35% of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate

• 53% declined to hire due to provocative photos

• 44% dismissed candidates due to social media content with alcohol and drugs

• 35% cited candidates bad-mouthing former employers

• 14% of employers also disregarded candidates for using emoticons (friendly smiley faces)

On the brighter side they report that 18 percent of employers have hired candidates based on the content they had on social media networking sites.

I remind my school age children that anything they say in email, texts or on myspace can come back to haunt them. The advice I give them is not to say anything they wouldn’t be willing to say directly to someone, or stand on a table in the cafeteria and shout to the entire school.

With social media comes freedom and responsibility. We have the means to instantly post what we are thinking or feeling at any given moment. Will you think twice about posting those spring break pictures... or venting about a coworker? The choice is yours.