04 Sep 2018
Problems with Social Media and Career Progression
For the past two months SafelySwim has been flat out dedicated to delivering high quality lessons to all of our customers. We have also been hunting out exciting new team members to join us and help SafelySwim to keep expanding.
It’s not my first time interviewing potential candidates, however the HR (Human Relations) industry is still new territory for me as an employer. What I am not struggling with is the amount of positive interest our vacancies have received, meaning I am pleased to see new team members join us after the summer holidays. After copious investigation I couldn’t help but feel a need to share my findings and opinions to help the next flurry of candidates looking for job opportunities with SafelySwim.
Most people are aware of the film franchise ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, films which have made over $1.6bn for Disney. Those keeping up with the news have seen that director James Gunn has recently been sacked, all because of comments he posted on Twitter in 2008 and 2009.
Which got me thinking about employment and the impact that social media can have on current and prospective job opportunities. I found some information that completely astounded me:
‘One in 10 job seekers between the ages of 16 and 34 have been rejected for a job because of something posted on their profiles’.
‘Posting imagery on holiday is an indication to burglars knowing you are out of the country should they know where you live’.
‘A teacher went to a brewery on holiday taking a photo of her with a beer and a glass of wine, a student parent complained to the school and the head teacher had to suspend her for a month’.
I will admit, being an employer I research into an individual before contacting them to gain a fuller understanding of that person’s lifestyle, interests, and experiences. I am sure that I have made both conscious and unconscious decisions based on this public information. However, I have also found employers often disregard candidates who post swimwear photos, photos involving alcohol and/or drug use, and any photos mocking customers or expressing their past employer in a negative manner. This can all happen before they speak to a candidate or even before checking out qualifications or CV’s.
Being in both computing and teaching industries I find being found on social media is important to building my career, and it can establish vital connections to potential clients. Social media is also important to reflect your expertise in your field and as a way of keeping in touch. However, publicly sharing too much personal information online is always going to be a mistake.
Reports say that over-posting can be problematic as it can reflect your life as unproductive or portray things which employers don’t react warmly to. But having too little online presence can be interpreted as trying to hide something or as a sign you aren’t well-established in a career or community. A good solution is to ensure you are getting a good balance and think twice before posting an image, message, or post.
