When Facebook Behavior Goes Bad
400 million active visitors. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook)
41% of all social media traffic. (http://bit.ly/92J1aw)
That’s how many people crowd Facebook. No wonder it’s so noisy!
What’s everyone doing? FB has grown up. It’s still a social gathering spot, but also a board room, a business meeting, a convention site…in short, a valuable professional environment. Employers – as many as 30% of them – screen potential employees using Facebook. If you think they’re not watching…
What I Do on My Time is My Business
It’s Saturday night and the gang is letting loose. Should you let your friend snap a pic of you dressed as a French maid? With a beer pyramid in the background? Even if you don’t post it, your friend might. Guilt by association can hurt you in the professional world, even when you’re just having fun.
There’s Something about Judy
What about professional venting or gossiping? Don’t do it publicly. Even if you’re ‘just joking’, it’s not funny for the target, and it’s really not funny when the office goons show up to escort you out the door.
Status Update: I’ll Have a Headache in the Morning
Don’t post a work-related FB message that says, “Jane’s boyfriend is visiting. She’ll be out sick tomorrow.” Even worse: “SCORE! Online Poker rules! Just won 150 bucks!”
You might as well post this: “Lazy, paycheck-seeking procrastinator seeks free all-day Internet access.”
Think! Your employer knows how to log on to Facebook too.
Potato, Potahto
Don’t fudge your personal, professional truth. Graduating from community college in Yale, Oklahoma doesn’t qualify as “graduated from Yale.”
Here’s What to Do
First, get familiar with the security settings (privacy options). Set your profile so only ‘friends’ can see your pictures and personal information. Lock your profile so you must approve every new friend.
Next, set up a second page for professional use, and keep it that way. Your Pro FB page should work like a resume, sharing only the information you would share in an interview. This way, you can demonstrate your tech-savvy, social networking side, minus the beer, costumes and…well…you get it.
Need help setting up your profile on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter? Drop me a note!
4 Responses to “When Facebook Behavior Goes Bad”
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This is one of the best posts on this I’ve read in a while. Thank you for putting this one together, and getting it out there. I hope people will pass this one around; it’s an important topic. (Just last week, I was working with a group in NYC and this came up in discussion…)
Thank you, Jason! That’s a really great compliment, coming from someone of your professional stature.
More and more employers/HR etc are screening potential employees using FB. To the best of my knowledge this is a true story. Three people were interviewed for a job. The person doing the interviewing then went to each individual’s FB and asked to become a friend (using an assumed name) The one person who did not automatically accept the request but sent an email questioning who this person was got the job. The rational-the company wanted someone who used good judgement, used discretion, questioned, wasn’t impulsive. Well you get the idea. As far as FB goes, it’s better to keep your professional life professional and your private life private. Good article
Nadyne,
I am glad you liked the article. Thank you for you insightful comments.