The Essential Do’s and Don’ts of Professionalism on Social Media

Social media has become one of the most popular forms of communication. It’s quick, easy, and pretty casual. People use it to find jobs, conduct research, and follow brands. Just because it is a causal space doesn’t mean it’s a free for all. Let’s talk about some do’s and don’ts to using social media professionally.

DO

1. Consider your profiles as a way to brand yourself. Let people know who you are, what your hobbies are, and what your passions are. This can play a key role in attracting recruiters and potential job prospects for future job opportunities and making the right connections.
2. Use proper grammar. Social media platforms, like Facebook, may be more casual but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use proper grammar. If you want people to understand you, then your posts and comments need to be well written. Your social media posts often set the first impression of you and you want that to be the best it can be! Having misspelled words and using text abbreviations may not portray you in the best light professionally, so take the time to spell check, read it over, and check it again.
3. Spend some time to share positivity online. In today’s world, we always hear what went wrong; but what if everyone talked about what went right? Compliment your recruiter for going the extra mile, provide a rating on your employer’s Facebook page with what you love about working there, or simply compliment other employee’s posts.

DON’T

1. Forget social media is a PUBLIC space. That means your posts and comments can be seen by your employer, friends, friends of friends, family, and beyond. You wouldn’t want to have to resign from a job you love based on an inappropriate post on social media. Companies want employees that represent who they are and what they stand for, so remaining professional on social media is important.
2. Air out your problems with employees, employers, or really anyone via social media. We have all seen it happen. Someone gets angry and turns to social media to vent. Words can be hurtful, especially if they are negative and harsh. You wouldn’t want anyone to talk bad about you online so why would you talk about others? Try to resolve the problem through a personal conversation, instead of social media for the world to read. Remember it’s not just their reputation but yours too that gets tarnished.
3. Post something you will regret. Once it’s posted you can’t go back. You may be able to delete a post or comment but remember anyone can screenshot it and repost it BEFORE you delete it. If your mom wouldn’t be proud of your post then you probably shouldn’t post it!

Hopefully these do’s and don’ts will help you keep professional when online. What tips do you have?