To Post or not to Post?
Okay...soooo...like...I'm about to reveal an estimation of how old I am by describing when I joined Facebook. It was early in the 2000s and the url was "thefacebook.com." You know, the site that would allow you to join only if you had a college email address. It was an age when we were getting tired of MySpace and the html viruses that came with it, friend requests from unknown people for the sake of gaining friends, and custom backgrounds that took more time to load than to enjoy. I personally wanted something new - a way to escape and be something other than an "ilovepokemon" username. As a matter of fact, when setting up my account, I tried to enter a username, but the website required that I use my real name. So, there it read, "Tamara Allen - Lexington, KY."
Social media was new for everyone, and like many, I didn't know how to handle myself appropriately. As I became more familiar with the site and my friends began to join, I found myself posting everything that came to my mind, at all hours of day, without any regard to privacy settings.
One day while in the office, a co-worker walked up to me and made an insensitive comment without realizing it was offensive. I neutrally responded with a frosty smile and walked away, furious I didn't take advantage of a teachable moment. Instead, I went to The Facebook. It's a bit of a blur, but I recall using a phrase like "idiot co-worker of mine" and few choice words to vent my irritation before leaving for the weekend. Monday morning, I logged into my computer at work, opened my Outlook, and discovered an email dated the previous Saturday evening at 9-something-pm filled with a screenshot of my Facebook profile. The message read, "I'm not sure why Tamara has so much time during the day to be on the internet." My supervisor and his supervisor were copied on the email. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in my supervisor's office being mentored on professional etiquette and how to safeguard against situations like this.
My co-worker (who was not a college student) searching through my profile at 9:00pm on a Saturday night did not negate the fact that posting the comment was wrong. I was young, and although justified in my personal feelings, it was NOT appropriate to bad mouth a co-worker, especially on social media. I immediately went to my Facebook account, deleted the post, and sought out the privacy settings to make my page private. It was then I realized that anything you post can and will be used against you. Lol.
So what's the moral? Think before you post. Social Media is a driving force in employment decisions, and if not utilized wisely, can have a negative impact on your professional and personal reputation. I was fortunate to make this mistake before policies regarding social media usage were devised, resulting in no disciplinary action. However, as a Career Consultant, I want you to learn from my experiences.
Before starting a job search, while working with a company, and after you leave a position, remember to clean up your digital dirt. If you need to vent, call a best friend or someone in your support system. Please don't post it online. Lessons in life and profession.
T. Allen Speaks
Okay...soooo...like...I'm about to reveal an estimation of how old I am by describing when I joined Facebook. It was early in the 2000s and the url was "thefacebook.com." You know, the site that would allow you to join only if you had a college email address. It was an age when we were getting tired of MySpace and the html viruses that came with it, friend requests from unknown people for the sake of gaining friends, and custom backgrounds that took more time to load than to enjoy. I personally wanted something new - a way to escape and be something other than an "ilovepokemon" username. As a matter of fact, when setting up my account, I tried to enter a username, but the website required that I use my real name. So, there it read, "Tamara Allen - Lexington, KY."
Social media was new for everyone, and like many, I didn't know how to handle myself appropriately. As I became more familiar with the site and my friends began to join, I found myself posting everything that came to my mind, at all hours of day, without any regard to privacy settings.
One day while in the office, a co-worker walked up to me and made an insensitive comment without realizing it was offensive. I neutrally responded with a frosty smile and walked away, furious I didn't take advantage of a teachable moment. Instead, I went to The Facebook. It's a bit of a blur, but I recall using a phrase like "idiot co-worker of mine" and few choice words to vent my irritation before leaving for the weekend. Monday morning, I logged into my computer at work, opened my Outlook, and discovered an email dated the previous Saturday evening at 9-something-pm filled with a screenshot of my Facebook profile. The message read, "I'm not sure why Tamara has so much time during the day to be on the internet." My supervisor and his supervisor were copied on the email. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in my supervisor's office being mentored on professional etiquette and how to safeguard against situations like this.
My co-worker (who was not a college student) searching through my profile at 9:00pm on a Saturday night did not negate the fact that posting the comment was wrong. I was young, and although justified in my personal feelings, it was NOT appropriate to bad mouth a co-worker, especially on social media. I immediately went to my Facebook account, deleted the post, and sought out the privacy settings to make my page private. It was then I realized that anything you post can and will be used against you. Lol.
So what's the moral? Think before you post. Social Media is a driving force in employment decisions, and if not utilized wisely, can have a negative impact on your professional and personal reputation. I was fortunate to make this mistake before policies regarding social media usage were devised, resulting in no disciplinary action. However, as a Career Consultant, I want you to learn from my experiences.
Before starting a job search, while working with a company, and after you leave a position, remember to clean up your digital dirt. If you need to vent, call a best friend or someone in your support system. Please don't post it online. Lessons in life and profession.
T. Allen Speaks
