By now, everyone has heard the cautionary tale of the NASA intern who was fired because of two profane tweets. Homer Hickam, a former NASA engineer, had tweeted a warning to the now-former intern about her language use, but she was unaware of his identity and used profanity in her reply to him. While the story was certainly cringe-inducing, many people may think the same situation may never happen to them. But chances are, employers will look at your social media. You just wonât be lucky enough to get a warning.
Make sure your social media pages are clean so you donât miss out on that NASA internship (or any other job).
Social media is fun and engaging, and many of us have the habit of posting anything and everything we do. But more employers use social media in the hiring process than ever before. A 2017 survey by Harris Poll found that 70 percent of employers used social media to screen candidates.
This is both your greatest advantage and disadvantage.
This doesnât mean you should delete your accounts. The same poll found that 57 percent of employers are less likely to request an interview if they canât find a candidate online. Social media is a great way to strengthen your professional brand. A well-cultivated profile can potentially impress hiring managers and show off your skills in a dynamic way that your rĂ©sumĂ© canât.
Social media can show off your writing skills and creativity.
Keep in mind that your social media accounts are like an advertisement for who you are. As a job applicant, you are offering a product â yourself, as a potential employee for an organization. If you saw an ad for a product showing its worst features, would you want to buy it? Probably not. So no matter how tempting it might be to log on and complain about your day at your job, or about a coworker, donât do it. It could be viewed by hiring managers in the future. This also applies after youâre hired. In the Harris poll, over a third of employers found content online that resulted in an employee being reprimanded or even fired.
The last thing you want is to lose your internship or job.
If itâs too late, and youâve posted things that arenât exactly professional, at least go back and delete what you can. This goes for everyone. Take the time to go through your social media profiles and make sure theyâre all squeaky clean. You might not remember everything you posted.
If you have accounts with your name or identifying information attached to them, employers can probably find them. Itâs up to you to decide if it will be to your benefit or detriment.
