According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition of professionalism is the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterizes or mark a profession or a professional person. However, most millennials these days think that dressing up in a button down shirt and slacks, magically establish a persona of being “professional.” Unfortunately, my fellow millennials, this is not the case. Our lives, as most of you should realize, are not private anymore.Social media could be your demise if you don’t post carefully. You might think you killed a job interview, but if the employer searches through your social media outlets to figure out who you really are, and sees something inappropriate, your chances of getting the job could be shot. More and more employers these days are looking at potential employees’ social media accounts before they make a decision on who to hire, so before you post that picture of you doing a keg stand, you might want to think about how it could affect your likelihood of getting hired. Here are a few tips on what to post and how to clean up your social media accounts to maximize your chances of getting hired.
1. Look at Your Past Posts
When you think about it, the majority of us millennials started using the internet as early as elementary school. Now, can you remember all the posts you have made since then? Probably not, but you can scroll back to the early days of social media and delete anything that may be considered inappropriate or embarrassing. It’s worth it to take the time to do this so that these posts don’t come back to haunt you in your professional career.
2.  Be Careful with Your Friends’ Posts
Okay, so maybe you cleaned your Facebook and Instagram of all your inappropriate postings, but what about your friends who have added photos of you that you wouldn’t want to fall in the hands of an employer? Sometimes, your friends could affect how you look on the internet as well. This could go beyond pictures–remember that every post you “like” could come up on your page, so be careful of the posts you interact with..
3. Create a Personal Brand for Yourself
As a telecommunications student, I’ve learned first-hand that building your personal brand is a big deal. However, this isn’t just for students like me going into a career in telecommunications. I think everyone should do this with their posts on social media. When posting on your various social media outlets, you should be your organic, authentic self. Make sure you’re posting and creating ideas that promote positive and beneficial feedback, and that represent who you are as a person. Nowadays, almost every company has a social media account of some sort, so if you learn now how to manage a professional and credible account, this will give you a leg up in the market you want to go into.
4. Think Twice Before You Post
I know it’s exciting to post on social media, but before those fired-up fingers hit the share button, I would take a minute and think it over. Make sure the spelling is correct, make sure your post is going to reflect he message you want it to, and make sure you are posting for the right reasons.
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Happy professional posting!
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Photo Credits: weheartit.com
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