Start off professional etiquette on social media

We believe in the saying ‘sharing is caring’. Sharing is a major reason behind the huge success of the social network. We share our thoughts, happiness and emotions widely on social media. Sharing is the natural instinct of humans. We love to share. But it’s time you need to control that urge/instinct.

How we communicate on social media is not only a personal issue. It also has a professional impact. You may have explained clearly in your bio that all your thoughts to be personal. But once executed, it doesn’t remain personal. You must draw the line between what’s personal and social on social network. Because it is not only the platform to stay connected with people but also a hub for job seeking and employee hunting.

What you write on social network largely shapes your professional career. You need to cultivate professional etiquette on social media as well. There was a time when your CV or resume would be enough to get a job. At present, recruiters keep a close eye on your social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) activity. Posts, thoughts poured on social media can speak a lot about the individual than the resume. The real individual is portrayed by social media conduct. Thus you must think twice and thrice before you execute your opinions on social media.

Gossiping, badmouthing others are not the healthy sign for professional life. Complaining only about negative things might portray you as a pessimist person. Take into consideration your professional reputation while involving on social media interaction. Engage in the activity on social media like you are a responsible social being. Employers are keeping a tab on your social media profile to see if you are worthy of hiring. For example, Linkedin is the largest professional network that enables the user to create a profile on professional development and assists in job hunting. How you manage your LinkedIn profile determines how quickly you get recruitment.

Do’s and Don’ts on social media

–Think before your post: Once you post, you will not have control over it. Though you may delete it realising its possible negative impacts, the same post could have been saved by others to trouble you back. So, take your time before you make your thoughts public. Post it only if it has a high probability of acceptance by the majority.

-Do not post negative things about your employer: Don’t complain about your work on social media. If you have complaints, go through the right channel. And don’t brag about your work accomplishments as well.

–Manage privacy settings: You can manage settings over who can have access to your profile and posts. The only link, follow or friend people you know well. You can create separate accounts for personal and professional use. Or you can secure the page allowing only your friends to view your information and photos.

–Post photos that look professional: Carefully select your profile picture avoiding wild party photos, or glamorous one. And un-tag yourself from the photos that are unprofessional if you have been tagged into.