Social Media. Be There / Beware.

Before you type those 140+ characters, remember that your audience could be almost anyone. Whether you are job searching (but especially if you are) or employed, you need to keep in mind that the internet indeed connects you to great opportunities and it connects those opportunities to you.

Four out of five American adults uses social media on at least a monthly basis. Employers and recruiters use social media as well. The internet facilitates recruiting and reference checking, not just for potential employees, but some employers use it for annual or on-going background checks.

What does this mean? It means we should all practice a glass-house and golden-rule approach. Be polite and honest, show integrity and accountability. Basically don’t tweet or post something that your mother wouldn’t be proud of or you’d have to explain to your child. If there is some information or photo that you wouldn’t want the general public (or a potential employer or colleague) to know or see, you should refrain from posting it on a social media site or anywhere on the internet for that matter.

Social media is a fantastic tool for networking. Consider keeping your online socializing separate from your professional networking. Be judicious about the personal information you share online. And unless it is your job to do so, never use your work email or time for social networking. Much of the personal data that is collected these days is tracked through your email address, so be careful about mixing professional and extracurricular activity on the internet.

Be proactive, be passionate, be accountable. Visit us at www.RedfishTech.com! Sign up for one of our targeted industry newsletters at: http://tinyurl.com/ylmtqqc. Just enter your email address and you will be directed to an online subscription form where you can select from any of our newsletters.

Remember, Mom has a computer and a Facebook account too!