Social Media Dangers

We know it's 2024 and it should go without saying, but you have to be very careful about what you share on social media when you are seeking a new job. Some surveys have found that two-thirds of companies use social media to research potential candidates. Further, over half admitted rejecting applicants based on their social media profiles! And you never know how far they go back. There was a story a few years ago about magazine publisher Conde Nast who extended an offer to someone they wanted to hire as an editor.? However, it came out that this applicant had made some insensitive comments on Twitter when she was 17 years old. Needless to say, that revelation cost her the job.

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We?want to think that no Alliance candidate has ever lost out on a job offer due to their social media account but we suspect it happened several months ago. Without going into details, let's say that the individual posted some content that?didn't portray him in a very professional?light.

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So some words of advice:

• Assume that all employers will look you up. The most commonly searched sites include Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn (few people put bad things on LI, but you'd be surprised).
• Make your accounts private. If you no longer use a social media platform, consider deleting the account.
• Be careful what you "like," share, or comment upon. Even if it's not content that you created, your endorsement makes that a moot point.?
• Delete inappropriate posts. What's inappropriate? We're tempted to say anything that your grandparents wouldn't approve of, but that might not be strict enough. Certainly remove anything related to politics, sex, race, religion, or just doesn't show you in a very professional light.
• Go through the list of people/organizations you are following and consider unfollowing those that might be controversial.
• Consider updating your social media profile pictures if they are old and not complimentary.
• Google yourself. You might be surprised by what you find (not all of it is necessarily bad, but it may be eye-opening).

Take these actions?sooner rather than later. When you delete things there can be a short 'afterlife' on Google, meaning that some items can appear on searches after they have been removed or made private. While the person finding it might not get to the original post, it can still raise red flags.