Don’t Let this Mistake Keep You from Getting Hired

The following is adapted from Acting Up by Janice Bryant Howroyd.

Recently, I had a text conversation with my son Brett about some important business matters. He asked me a particularly sensitive question and I was about to text back the answer when I instinctively stopped myself. Instead of putting the comment in writing, I sent Brett this message: “Not for text. Let’s talk later.” So, why did I stop myself?

Because in the back of my mind, I heard this phrase: “Never put anything in an email or text message that you wouldn’t want to be read in court.” I’ve often heard lawyers say this, and I tell my employees a version of this advice, saying, “Make sure you’re okay with what you’re saying being on the front page of any well-read journal.”

The lesson here is one that many young people just out of college and searching for their first job learn the hard way: Be careful with what you say — it matters.

Since I’m in the human resources and talent recruitment business, I know how employers screen applicants before making a job offer. Most companies always check out an applicant’s social media profile. Always. Companies know that they can’t control what you do online after they’ve hired you. That’s why most companies conduct a thorough social media check before making a job offer.

And they should. Because the profile and pictures and comments that you post online are representative of who you say you are. If you’re showing off a video on Instagram of you doing a beer bong, that’s who you are to your audience, even though to you it may only be a fun snippet. You’re that guy. You’re a party animal.

Your social media presence helps communicate your brand to the world. If you’re applying for a job at a microbrewery, it might go over fine. But if you’re interviewing to work at the police department or city hall, not so much. So, with that in mind, here is some advice I offer to college students who are about to enter the workforce.

Keep Your Personal Brand Pristine

First, never post anything on social media that you wouldn’t say or do in front of your parents (like doing a beer bong). Second, never write anything offensive or incendiary in a text or email. Third, sometime before you finish your sophomore year in college, you need to start thinking about how an employer will view your pics and posts.

Don’t overreact here — if an employer can’t find you online, they will think you don’t exist. So it’s good to have a social media and online presence, but it needs to be clean. No live video of you doing a keg stand or pictures of you passed out and covered in beer cans. Stay away from positing anything stupid because you will regret it later.

A potential employer will look at your social media accounts for a couple of reasons. First, they want to see if there are any deal breakers. Hate speech and angry rants will be deal breakers for every employer. Party pics might be a red flag for some employers but not for others. The truth is, you never know, so it’s best to be safe, not sorry.

Second, employers are trying to see if what you do and how you portray yourself online aligns with what they do. What are their business practices, and how do you match up to them? Do your actions reflect their values? Will their brand be enhanced or harmed by who you say you are online? All these questions will be taken into account.

Be Careful Even When You’re Employed

It’s not just potential employers who will look at your online profile. Your current employer also will access this information if they’re considering you for a promotion, or even a bonus. You know who else might search for you on social media? Banks, lenders, employees. Even clients. Sometimes, when clients or potential clients are reviewing vendors, they want to know exactly who will be servicing their account. If it’s a conservative company, such as a law firm or a nonprofit, and you have posted pictures of you smoking a hookah pipe, you could lose the promotion or that account.

To this day, I am extremely protective of my online image. For example, if I’m at a social event and I’m holding a glass, I always set it down before someone takes a picture. I’m not going to show up on a blog or on Facebook appearing to hold alcohol in my hand. Although I’m not judgmental of it, I don’t drink. That’s my personal thing. It is also my belief that some of my clients may not appreciate seeing that. I do not want to lose any business because of something silly like a Facebook post from a backyard barbecue.

The best thing to do is to get in the habit of thinking this way. Think in advance about how you want to portray your personal brand. Avoid any situations that could detract from that brand. Most people will edit their thoughts before verbalizing them, but the real trick is to edit your thought before you think it all the way through. Protecting your online brand is one of the easiest and smartest things anyone can do for their career.

For more advice on keeping your personal brand pristine, you can find Acting Up on Amazon.

Janice Bryant Howroyd left her hometown in 1976 armed with $900. Two years later she founded ActOne, which she grew into a multibillion-dollar global organization that now manages 2,000+ employees across more than twenty countries. She is also the bestselling author of Acting Up: Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom.