How Social Media Can Hurt Your Career

So, I recently posted about the benefits of social media and how helpful it can be to your career. I truly believe that if done right, social media can actually boost it!

I mean, I am a marketing professional, so I’m a little biased. But, I have connected with great people on social media who have helped my blog become a business! Being engaged on social media has also helped show my expertise to employers.

However, nothing can be entirely good. Social media can be damaging to your career if you use it incorrectly. I’ve seen it happen at my previous job! So, here are some tips on how NOT to use social media.

1. Keep Work Problems at Work

Let me repeat this again for the people in the back. Don’t. Post. About. Your. Co-workers. Or Boss. Or Job. On social media. I don’t care what they have done to wrong you. I also guarantee that most of your followers don’t care (unless they love drama). Lastly, I guarantee that it will not fix the situation or make you feel better. If you’re having a problem at work, resolve it privately with that person or your boss. Please don’t blast it for the world to see.

2. Don’t Post Offensive Material

You shouldn’t be doing this anyway, but if you care about your career, you REALLY shouldn’t do it. Without giving a full lesson on how not to be a bad person, I will state that if you’re posting (or sharing) something that can seem as insensitive to someone based on their race, ethnicity, age, gender, disability or familial status, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected class, don’t. I really don’t feel like I should have to write that, but this is the world we live in.

3. Keep partying photos on your phone

This is something I struggle with myself. If you had a fun night, of course you want to share it with everyone. And you should be able to! My tip is to keep anything like alcohol or anything illegal (that you shouldn’t be doing!) out of the shot. I always sit my drink down or stick it below the camera. This way even if my friends post it, I don’t look like the barfly I pretend I’m not for work.

4. Not Engaging with Others on Social Media

The best thing about social media is interacting with other people from all over the world. If you’re just posting, but not engaging with other users. You’re not doing it right! No one will want to connect with you if you’re not making the effort to also connect. Follow people who are in similar career paths that you’d like to be on and talk to them! Make yourself stand out!

Is social media hurting your career? Well, there is still time to turn it around! What social media mistakes have you seen people make? Comment below!