Why You Should Keep Your Private Life Private

It's a common fact nowadays that we all use social media in one way or another. Its uses lie mainly in keeping in touch with friends and family but increasingly companies have been using it to research candidates before they offer them a job. Other businesses are using it to keep tabs on existing employees.

Think about your Facebook page and your most recent night out documented in all its glory. Think about your twitter account and your series of tweets moaning about one of your co-workers. Would you really want a prospective employer seeing those? If the answer is no the best solution is to check your privacy settings on these websites and make sure your accounts are set to private.

You may think an employer making a snap decision on you based on your Facebook page harsh and unjust but and long as the decision made by the company has no bases on gender, ethnicity or religion they are quite within their rights not to hire you. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) say that nearly all employers research candidates for a job online.

Of course it's not just when applying for jobs when you need to be careful. We've all heard stories of people who call in sick for a couple of days but actually go and visit their friends for a long weekend. Pictures of the weekend are put up on Facebook, the office gossip catches wind and before you know it you're in the boss's office getting a warning. Of course, the simple option is not to lie about things like that; you will probably be caught out in the end anyway. Also be aware of fitness apps that update your status or tweets automatically for you. If you have called in sick then you app tells Facebook you burned 700 calories running that might set chins wagging.

There are other scenarios to be wary of. You might have had a really rubbish day at work, your boss was moaning on and on and you need a place to vent your anger. Think twice before turning to Facebook or Twitter. People have lost their jobs to spur of the moment tweet slagging off bosses, co-workers or customers. Remember what you say represents the company you work for so any comments made by you about a customer is the responsibility of the company you work for.

Make sure you are aware of the importance your social media accounts and the potential effect they could have on your career. If you would like more information on social media policies, please don't hesitate to contact us today.

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