What do your social media posts say about you?

Have you ever wondered if maybe you didn’t land your dream job or internship because of something you posted on social media? Lately it is almost inevitable that potential employers are going to search your social media posts to find out more about you. In some cases this may be good, for example if an employer agrees with a political statement you post they might be more likely to call you in for an interview. However, there are also many downfalls when it comes to employers checking your social media posts. If there is one picture or comment that they don’t like or agree with, they will instantly judge you negatively and most likely decide to put your resume in the trash. It is difficult to decide what is appropriate to post on social media and what’s not. One comment might seem appropriate to one person, while completely offending someone else. While we should be cautious about what we post, maybe employers should also be a little more open to what they find on social media, and let the positives about a potential employee outweigh the negatives. For example, if a perfectly qualified candidate for a position has one picture at a bar with friends, does that make them unfit for the position?

            The article “What Social Media Can (Really) Tell You About Job Applicants” discusses a study that shows that employers may be eliminating great employees based off of judgments made from social media postings. The article mostly focuses on the use of alcohol and drug related posts. I do not completely agree or disagree with the article; I agree that employers should not be as judgmental when it comes to social media posts but only to an extent. However, I disagree that employers should disregard the use of drugs when it comes to hiring new employees. I find it completely reasonable that they would not want to hire someone knowingly involved in illegal activity. On the other hand I feel like alcohol related posts fall into a gray area. It is one thing for a person to constantly post about drinking, but if someone is of legal age to drink and has a few posts regarding casual drinking I don’t see any harm in that. As the article discusses, those who are open to post such things on social media it can tell a great deal about their personality. It might show that they are an extrovert which could be very beneficial for many positions.

            Overall, I think social media is a great way for employers to learn more about a potential hire because you can learn a great deal about a person’s personality through their posts. Yet I don’t think they should put so much weight on the information that they find, unless it is to the extreme like posting about drugs or an abundance of drinking. I think it should be one of the many things that are put into consideration, but not be a deal breaker. It would be an interesting research study to survey employers and see what information they find on social media that causes them to turn down or fire a qualified employee.

http://mashable.com/2013/10/18/social-media-and-job-applicants/