You’re living in a digital age where social media has become a part and parcel of the everyday life. A larger portion of today’s job industry depends on social media platforms for finding and screening candidates. If you are not on social media yet, you’re definitely missing out on multiple potential career opportunities. Building a strong presence on social media is key to career success.
Social media provides an opportunity to advertise yourself for free, and connect with hiring managers, recruiters and employers.
But a lot of fresh graduates and working professionals are afraid of using social media because they believe it could lead to reputational harm. Though social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube are not harm-free zones, as far as the online reputation of a person is concerned, being afraid or not using them at all is not the right solution.
The fear of not using social media arises from the lack of knowledge about using it in a way that’s correct and safe.
Use these tips to get rid of your fear of social media –
Review Your Privacy Settings: Before you start using a social media platform of your choice, you should explore its privacy settings. Every social media platform has different features and options that you can use to protect yourself online. Know these settings and set them correctly.
Avoid Discussing Religion, Politics and Sex: While using social media as a career success tool, it’s important to stay away from discussions on topics that would immediately attract criticism. If you have a strong opinion on any of these topics, give one of your friends a telephone call and share it – rather than posting it on social media and letting plenty of people see and share it.
Connect with People You Know and Trust: In your desperation to show off a bigger friend count, don’t start adding just anyone. If you add people you don’t know or haven’t talked to for the last 10 years, you’ll actually put your reputation and personal brand at risk. Add only those people who you know for a long time and trust as friends who will never let you down.
Change Passwords Regularly: Would you like someone to hack into your account and start posting content that would offend people or embarrass you? Definitely, not. To avoid this situation, you should always remember to change your passwords on a regular basis. Also, don’t use the same password for multiple social media channels you use. Using the same password across all social media accounts you have increases the chances of hacking manifolds. Always, have different passwords for different accounts to keep your reputation well-protected.
Now that you know how to keep your reputation safe on social media, you should start using social media for career success without any delay. Decide on the kind of personal brand you want to build and then start building your social media profiles to take your career to the next level.
