COACHABLE MOMENT: Use Social Media Strategically, not to Share Every Thought.

A colleague, Susan Geary, recently wrote a post on LinkedIn attempting to discourage jobseekers from complaining about the search process and scolding recruiters on social media.  As she said, it will not make you a desirable candidate.  Here is my answer that might also help you or your friends in a job search:

It’s such a temptation for jobseekers. I tell them their social media is to be used strategically, not to complain about their search, a specific interview, an interviewer, or anyone else. Also, not there to complain about the current or past President, hot-button issues, your family, get into arguments with others, etc.

Social media is there for communication, and it should be overall positive with the exception of a death of a friend or family member, or other life change mentions. Those of us who understand the background search know that nothing is hidden, and you can back into their comments and pictures easily if you know the hacks. Ultimately, keeping things positive will result in a new job, quicker.

Weekly, I have a client, potential client, friend, family member, or acquaintance telling me another horror story of a person who had no discipline on social media and lost a job. Sometimes they were already working for the company, sometimes they were just in the interview process. It can be just a singular post, and a history of posts that doomed them, but also can be the unbridled posts of close friends and family members.

Use the following rules:

1. If you wouldn’t say it in front of a boss, religious institution members, your grandmother, and in a public presentation with 1000’s of attendees simultaneously, don’t say it online. Have those conversations privately.
2. Wait 24 hours before commenting, you might decide you are better off saying nothing, or perhaps forget about commenting altogether.
3. Disconnect from connections over-sharing without a governor, it can be just temporarily until you have a new job.

To jobseekers and anyone on social media, please use it responsibly and understand the ramifications to you, your family and friends, when you don’t! To a better job search!