Think Before You Post, Tweet, or Check-in

There was a time when you punched that old time clock that you left work behind. You went home to your family, friends, and social lives. The next day, you clocked back in and started your professional life all over for the next 8 hours. You left your work at work and your home life at home. Or did you? Today, the line between our personal and professional lives has become blurred largely due to the way we communicate… social media. It has changed the way we share our news, the way we keep up with our friends, and the way we work.

Some would like to believe that they can still separate their personal and professional online personas. This is more difficult than it sounds. Why? It’s because we do spend many of our waking hours, and therefore, our social hours, at work. We are social beings after all. Work is now (and has always been) social. The Saturday barbecue or golf game that really has always included a work-friend, now is shared online. Today’s definition of social is also much more visible than it was before the advent of social media. That means we friend our coworkers on Facebook, maybe even our boss; follow the tweets of influential leaders within our organization; and check-in at the office through FourSquare to become the next mayor. At a company gathering, we might Instagram a photo of ourselves having a good time with our work friends. It’s all in good fun. And it’s all okay.

So what are employers up in arms about with social sharing? The reality is that many share a bit too much for professional comfort. Again, it’s a fine line. A potential employer researching your background knows that you might go out and have fun at the pub on Friday night, but they’d rather that the pictures were not the primary impression they see when learning more about your professional background. And remember, once you post it online, no matter how many controls you have set, there are ways that others in your network can share it. You have chosen to essentially make the information public.

So like the advice of most diet coaches, I encourage you to enjoy your life and share through social media… but in moderation. When posting online, remember that the information is there for essentially an infinite amount of time. Ask yourself, “Would this photo be something that I would be embarrassed about if my grandmother saw it? Would I want this information leaked in a TV news story?” If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then STOP and think before your post.

Today, we all are leaving a digital footprint in the sands of time. I personally prefer that mine is a true reflection of the professional and social person that I am.