Since the onset of COVID-19 and the resulting orders to stay at home, telework whenever possible, and do all social interactions by way of a screen, it’s no secret that technology has risen in importance and popularity over the last few months. In today’s internet-driven age, social media has become a way of life. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms take up hours of our time, track copious amounts of information, affect relationships with other people, and influence our opinions and ideas. It’s no surprise, based on these facts, that social media can also impact your career. Whether that impact is positive, or negative, though, is up to you.
Social media can actually help your job (or your job search if you are unemployed) since it offers a way for you to collect and spread information easily. Need to attract customers for your employer? Social media is the way to go! Want to make connections with other local businesses to grow your company? Online interaction can make that happen. If you know which content to put out, and how to present it, social media can be a huge asset in expanding your career horizons, whether you are currently hired or not.
On the flip side, social media can hurt your career if you misrepresent yourself online, affiliate yourself with controversial platforms or businesses, or put out content that is offensive to employers. Additionally, if you work for a company, you are essentially representing them as well as yourself when you are online, and you have to be aware of this when you put out content. While you are allowed to maintain your own personal opinions, share your photos and thoughts, and interact with friends and family on your various social media profiles, keeping a filter on this content is vital to maintaining a level of professionalism and growing your career. Remember, everything you put online is technically open to the public, regardless of how “private” you think your settings might be.
Even PHR Staffing Solutions makes use of social media and having an online presence by keeping our Facebook, Twitter, and Google listings up to date with the latest information about our business, open positions and opportunities for applicants, and other information that could be pertinent to our followers. You can even apply for some of our openings right from our Facebook page with the “jobs” feature. It’s clear that we believe in the positive aspects of social media, and encourage our applicants to do the same! We look forward to hearing from you and coming alongside you in your job hunt, whether by phone, via our website, or through one of our social media pages.