Social media and your reputation

It always surprises me when people post material that would certainly cause a potential employer or client to think twice about engaging them.  It seems that even people who are business savvy fail to make the connection between their personal and business personas.

'But that was on my personal account on Facebook - how can people associate that with my business/employer?' I hear them cry.

That's usually for one of three reasons:
1. They haven't set their privacy up so ONLY friends can see.
2. They've accepted a friend request from a business connection or prospective employer
3. Someone they ARE connected with has shared their post and has the potential client or employer in their network.

You can actively avoid 1 and 2, but there is no way of mitigating against 3.

Twitter is even less secure - everyone can see everything you post so don't fall into the trap of complaining about your boss, a client, a colleague or supplier - they can all see what you've got to say!

It’s wise to think carefully before posting – which is what the young lady who had just landed a well-paid job from internet company Cisco should have done. She tweeted the following:

Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.

Soon after, the company rescinded the offer.

More recently a local company was recruiting and interviewed a girl who looked great on paper and interviewed very well.  Just before they sent her a job offer they Googled her and discovered that he language on Facebook was dreadful.  The chose not to offer her the job - and she never knew.  However, the company's owner did talk about it at networking events.

If you choose to be visible in the digital world - no matter how well protected you think you are - remember the world is watching and never post anything you would be uncomfortable with a boss or client reading.