Recruiters and hiring managers only have to type your name into Google and they instantly have your social media profiles at their fingertips. For this reason, it’s smart to scrutinize your profiles before applying for jobs and to make sure everything you’ve posted is work-appropriate. Watch out for these major social media mistakes, which are serious enough that employers might take you out of consideration or rescind a job offer if they spot them.
1. Telling racist, discriminatory, or offensive jokes
Avoid posting jokes that poke fun at people for aspects of their identity like gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion. That goes for groups you personally identify with, too! No matter how well-intentioned you feel the joke is, other people online might see things differently. Keep in mind that the context in which someone reads the joke could be very different from what you pictured when you told it. For example, a joke about Italian people might not seem out of place if you live in a thriving community of Italian ex-pats but could be much less funny to someone who’s the only Italian person in his neighborhood and who’s faced discrimination over it.
2. Harassing people
Obviously, you shouldn’t harass people online. Don’t use profanity or insult anyone. Be prepared to walk away from arguments before they verge into harassment territory. For example, if someone has stopped responding to a discussion, don’t continue tagging them in or mention them in dozens of comments. Don’t take a disagreement to private messages unless the other person has offered to do so. And if an argument is getting too heated, bow out.
3. Doxxing someone
Doxxing means to post private or identifying information about other people. This information can include phone numbers or addresses, or it can include the real name of someone who’s using a pseudonym. Doxxing makes people vulnerable to stalking and harassment, and it can cause serious harm. Don’t do it!
4. Posting (or messaging) nude photos
As you might imagine, employers don’t want to see nude and sexually suggestive images of job applicants. And if you’re already employed, sending an unsolicited nude photo to one of your social media connections could prompt that person to complain to your employer, possibly costing you your job.
5. Referring to illegal activities
Employers are going to look askance at posts that hint at anything illegal, whether that’s recreational drugs, unlicensed firearms, or trespassing. Tone doesn’t always get through online, so a post that you meant ironically could look like a factual statement to a recruiter. Avoid references to illicit activities when you communicate online.
6. Creating a “secret insider” account about an employer
There are several popular Twitter accounts that purport to be written by employees of national organizations and that dish on their employers. Creating an account like this can get you fired if you’re already employed, and if you’re looking for a job, employers will be less willing to hire you when they see you’ve shared the inside scoop on another company. Keeping an account secret is difficult; you could accidentally give away identifying information, or a reader could deduce who you are. Protect your career by staying away from this kind of social media use.
7. Engaging in hate speech
This is probably a no-brainer, but posting hate speech online will derail your career. Many people have lost their jobs after voicing support for historical atrocities or endorsing racist conspiracy theories. Be careful when sharing memes, because some hide hateful content among familiar pop culture symbols. For example, Pepe the frog has figured in Holocaust denial memes. Before retweeting or sharing a meme, read it over, make sure the message is safe for work, and check where the meme originated if possible.
8. Pestering employers about your application
Nagging an employer to update you on your application status isn’t as bad as posting offensive content, but it can still be annoying and make you look unprofessional. If you want to check on an application, send an email or call rather than going on social media. If you’ve already tweeted at an employer, leave it at that. Don’t compound the problem by sending five more follow-up tweets.