He didn’t think before he posted, that’s how. And what he posted, he really shouldn’t have posted. Because there isn’t a line between our work-lives and our after-hours lives anymore. So don’t be Bob, and hold onto your job. Here’s how.
Meet Bob. Bob’s just had an interview at an award-winning agency in the city. Bob’s interview went really well, and he is expecting a job offer within the next 24 hours. Friday at the latest.
Last year, Bob graduated in the top 5% of his advertising school’s class, and he spent THREE months in London as an intern at a global agency where he really connected with his colleagues. Their work relationships became friendships (well, with everyone except that one manager, but nobody really liked her anyway).
Bob did amazing work, put in long days and partied just as hard as he worked. Sometimes that meant he was a little worse for wear on a Monday morning and that manager would give him a hard time about it. Still, it was all good and meant that he really aced his interview with the city agency.
But Bob does not get the job. He is crushed. How did he miss out? What skill or grade did he not have? What question did he mess up in the interview? He decides to call the recruiting manager and ask.
“I’m sorry, Bob,” she says “but our online research into who you really are showed you are not the best candidate for this job, which as you know will be handling key accounts for global brands. It is a very public facing role and unfortunately that puts you out of the running.”
What Bob doesn’t know is that the recruiter is also very good at her job, and she meticulously scrutinized the social media profiles of all the candidates she interviewed. What she found on Bob’s Facebook and Twitter accounts wiped out all the hard work he put into qualifying for his dream job. It turns out that his agency internship did him more harm than good.
Why? Because every time Bob’s manager in London berated him for coming to work late or hung over on a Monday, Bob posted on Facebook how much he hated her, how little she knew about her job and that he knew she was having an affair with their married Art Director. There were also photos of a wild night out when Bob was more than a little out of it, revealing more than he should on a public platform about his part-time substance habit.
This is not an isolated horror story. Increasingly, recruiters are researching who you are online because that reveals all the things you kept to yourself in your interview.
Not only that, but how you behave online can also impact the job you have now. If what you post online or how you rant in public makes it to the press, you can bet that the journalist writing about you will be eagerly scrolling your Facebook timeline to get more dirt, and even if you don’t list your employer on your Facebook page, all a wily journalist needs to do is to look you up on LinkedIn before writing an exposé putting pressure on your employer to please explain your behaviour as part of their brand values.
Here are my tips for keeping it tidy so that you don’t put your career opportunities at risk:
Don’t post every thought you have online. Even when the latest round of angry student uprisings, epic brand fails or presidential candidates’ corrupt philandering makes you so angry that the Red Mist of Social Media Self-Righteousness descends upon you, Do Not Post That Comment. It’s totally fine for you to have an opinion and not share it with thousands of strangers online. Just like the days before social media.
Remember that you’re an ambassador. I’m not talking about just being an ambassador for the company you work for. You’re an ambassador for Brand You. Everything you say and do online is a reflection of the type of person you are. Companies don’t recruit just for skill and talent, but also for a company culture fit, a values fit, and ambition. If what you post online or do in real life is at odds with who they are, you could be tweeting yourself out of a job. Keep it tidy.
Go back and delete. Remove every picture, post or tweet that is racy, antisocial or funny-at-the-expense of someone else’s religion, race, gender, preference or disability, because these posts have a nasty habit of coming back to bite you. What was funny in 2012 and possibly edgy in 2014 could be hugely offensive in 2016. Times have changed, and you don’t want your ‘mildly inappropriate in 2012’ to cost you the dream job in 2016.
Think before you post. It’s as simple as that.
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