Your Employer is looking... social media appropriateness

Clara Boles
September 14, 2022
Newsletter Article

Hmm, would it embarrass you if your great Aunt Sally saw your post. If so, odds are it would also embarrass you if your future or current employer saw it!

Social media:

The good, the bad and the ugly. Some of us LOVE it, some of us could do without, some of us must even set a timer when we are on it for the fear of being sucked into it all day. Even if you aren’t the biggest fan of social media, let’s be real- it’s not going away any time soon. So, how are we, job seekers, students, employers, and managers going to use it to our advantage, while also remaining professional?

I am not an expert advising you what is and what is not professional and / appropriate to post on your social media, but here are some tips that I have found helpful:

You are the company, and the company is you

Now what does this mean? Well, for example, look at any Facebook friend’s ‘about me section’, it will more than likely say where your friend works and most of the time you can click, and it will take you to the company page where your friend works. Let’s imagine you scroll down and look at your friends’ post and there are some very offensive posts and raunchy language... That not only looks tacky for the person BUT also for the company.

If it’s not on your page, it is still there

Has a friend ever tagged you Facebook post? Gotten in a random argument with a stranger online? Just because that is not on your profile page does not mean it is not connected to you! Keep these things in mind, especially if you are friends with your coworkers OR have public social media.

Would you show your great Aunt Sally?

Hmm, would it embarrass you if your great Aunt Sally saw your post. If so, odds are it would also embarrass you if your future or current employer saw it! Just give it some thought before you post something. And if your answer to being embarrassed about your great Aunt Sally seeing it is YES – then simply just don’t post it! These could be posts like:

Wild parties and intoxicated photos
- (NOTE - there is a big difference between having a drink at a sporting event or at brunch with friends, as opposed to being clearly very intoxicated at a bar/or party)
Bad Language
Illegal activity
Talking poorly of your company
- This can include posting inappropriate remarks about past or present coworkers as well

These suggestions, by no means imply that you should not express yourself on social media, but really just be aware of what is going out! Of course, some of these guidelines might not apply to you directly.

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