Image from www.facebook.com
Balancing both work life and personal life on social networking sites has become quite a tricky web. If not monitored from a professional eye, unintended consequences can unravel both sides of your life as quickly as the click of a mouse. Because Facebook mixes personal and professional lives unlike strictly business-related sites such as LinkedIn, it requires more mindful posting.
Here are some things to remember to assure your online reputation is free from scrutiny:
The Profile Pic: Facebook, contrary to what some believe, cannot be 100% personal by nature. Anything posted for the world to see is never "personal." With more and more employers counting on this tool to discover more about future hires, it is crucial that you keep your profile image appropriate and professional (or at least neutral). Avoid pictures with costumes, in bathing suits, before going out to a nightclub in a slinky dress (ladies), glamour shots, or cartoon-like pictures. A look through your current ‘friends list’ should help you spot the no-no’s. If you are tagged inappropriately in photographs, remove the tag and contact the ‘poster’ to remove the images that include you at all.
The Info Section: Thanks to Facebooks’ improved privacy settings, you can control who views your interests. You may consider allowing certain groups of people to see what you recreationally like to do on the weekends, while keeping religious and political affiliations hidden. A description of you should be concise and clear. Avoid using it as a bragging tool, and be mindful not to make anything too personal.
Not only are employers searching social sites for background information before and after hiring, but I read recently where 66 percent of attorney's surveyed surveyed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) called Facebook the leader for online divorce evidence followed by MySpace (15 percent) and Twitter (5 percent) - Facebook users evidently provide a wealth of incriminating information for more than one audience.
Inputing links and updates: Use this to share information about your expertise and interests. People love to do business with people that they feel a greater connection to, be it in person or online. It is not a platform to use obscene language, link to random or irrelevant sites, or post inappropriate photographs. Know when to draw the line on posting—people tend to get bored when they hear from you too much. Keep information interesting, appropriate, and newsworthy. Remember, a first impression can only be made once and your reputation is crucial to a successful and meaningful career.
Making Etiquette Easy,
Susan K. Medina
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