Don't let your fingers run away with you. Be careful what you post to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It just may cost you a job.
These days, it seems that everyone is either looking for a job or trying desperately to hold onto one. Even still, whenever I look at my Twitter feed, I see someone either complaining about their boss or talking about how bored they are at work.
If you are a chronic social media oversharer, be advised that Twitter is becoming a serious occupational hazard. People have been getting fired all across the country just because of something they tweeted. And, most of the time, they aren't really even that upset about their boss or their day, they are just venting. But even still, bosses don't always have the same sense of humor that rest of us do.
When you are using Twitter, or other social media sites like Facebook, you should always try to err on the side of caution and only post things that you would be comfortable showing to your boss, your co-workers or your family. If you really need to share how bad your boss is, there are other, more private, formats to do just that.
Here are some tips to keep you from Tweeting yourself out of job:
- Don't Post Your Politics – You never know what your boss's views on issues are, and even if they can't fire you for those types of posts, it can still give you negative attention. I advocate the freedom of speech just as much as anyone and think that we all have the right to say whatever we like, but the reality is that if you wouldn't broadcast your views across the office, you shouldn't share them on Twitter.
- Don't complain about your job – There is some progress being made here, with several courts ruling that complaining about your boss with your co-workers online is protected behavior, but it really isn't worth taking the chance. Even if you hate your boss, don't post things that you wouldn't say to them personally. Again, they may not be able to fire you for it, but there is a big chance that they will be gunning for you the next time they have to lay off employees.
- Only post at lunch or on your break – If your boss follows your Twitter feed, they might wonder about your ability to perform your job when you are tweeting every 10 minutes. Even if you don't want to break the habit of checking your social networking accounts while you are on the clock, at least don't post anything unless you are on break. Remember that those lovely time stamps will give your supervisor a detailed report about what you were doing on their time (and on their dime).
When using social media, just be careful. When you are typing in front of a computer screen it is easy to forget that your conversation is not private. If you want to dish about your job or how much you hate your boss, try text message or email.
Do you use Twitter at work? Have you received any negative attention from your tweets? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for CommunicationsJobBlog. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!