Can social media impact your future employment? Yes, it can!

On average there are 3.7 billion social media users in the world. That is just under half of the world’s population. 

Social media has brought numerous benefits to society including easier communication, helps to keep in touch with people and useful for group chats etc. It’s fair to say that social media has a huge impact on people’s lives. 

However, something that is not often talked about is the impact social media could have on your employment. You see, research shows that more than half of employers look at potential employee’s social media profiles before deciding whether or not to hire them. They will be looking to see what type of content they post especially anything that is offensive or inappropriate. Also, there are numerous stories of people losing their jobs due to posting offensive or inappropriate comments about their job.

Therefore, it may be worthwhile reviewing your past social media posts to see if there is anything you might want to consider removing. Remember that what may have been amusing when you were 14 may not be as funny now and certainly not to an employer. As the saying goes “If you wouldn’t want your Mum or your Granny to see it then you should not want an employer to see it”. 

Companies are likely to have social media policies in place outlining their expectations of you regarding social media use. If you identify on social media that you work for a particular company you will need to be careful about the type of content you are posting. Your employer will not want to appear to be associated with anyone who posts content that is offensive, disrespectful or controversial. 

Lastly, do not post anything negative about your company, it’s customers or your colleagues on social media. The chances are this will be noticed and may land you in trouble. There are reports of employees facing disciplinary action or even losing their jobs altogether due to posting offensive or disrespectful comments on social media about their employers. 

So no matter how much you hate your boss or the company you work for, do not post this on Facebook!