3 ‘Harmless’ Things In Your Personal Essays That Are Keeping You From Getting Hired
Rule of thumb? Assume that your boss will read every thing you’ve ever written.
Personal essays are usually the easiest way to score a byline on a high-authority website. Editors love getting cheap, juicy content that’s likely to go viral (and in turn, brings them tons of ad revenue). But there are consequences to sharing your deepest, darkest secrets online — especially if you’re still in the job market, which is the plight of most writers.
Which is why most writers are selective about what they publish under their legal name, use a pen name, (or — in some cases — decide that the risk is worth it). However, there are a few things writers include in personal essays that they might think are harmless, but actually might keep them out of a job. Don’t be that person! Keep reading for three things in your personal essays that might affect your future ability to get work.
3. Raunchiness
Sex might sell, but unless you’re a celebrity or influencer, risque content will come back to bite you. This isn’t just limited to photos and videos, either. It also includes written content. Regular people are expected to maintain squeaky clean images online — at least if we want to look attractive to employers. So while the explicit details of your hookups might help you go viral, once that fanfare ends, and the job search begins, you’ll have to explain what happened during that weekend in Cabo. That’s if you even get to the interview stage. If you just have to write about your relationships, leave our the raunchy details or get yourself a pen name. Like all the greats do.
2. Mental Health Struggles
Everyone has a right to tell their own story, but there are risks that come with divulging too much. Even though a growing awareness is helping to de-stigmatize mental health disorders, and there are laws on the book that protect against discriminatory hiring practices, if a prospective employer finds out that you struggle in some way, they might view your your illness as a liability. Worse, there’s nothing you can do about it. Because of the laws in place, a hiring manager is unlikely to admit the true reason that you didn’t get further in your job hunt. They’ll just simply say that someone else was more qualified, and you’ll never even know that they read your essay.
1. Workplace Insubordination
Writing about the time you quit your job using Tik Tok might be emotionally fulfilling, but you should ere on the side of caution when airing out workplace problems. Managers are looking for employees that will be obedient, reliable, and trustworthy. So if you gleefully go on a smear campaign against your old boss, you will only be hurting yourself — even if they deserve it. Not only will they see that you’re a potential flight risk, they’ll also know that you’re the kind of person who makes corporate grievances public once the company no longer serves you. In their eyes, hiring you would be a risk that they’re not willing to take.
These are the three main topics that writers don’t think will get them into trouble, but definitely will. But honestly, the list is a little longer (and depends on the personal biases of the person doing the hiring). A good rule of thumb is to think twice about anything that will make people question your ability to represent their company and be a valued member of the team. (Even if their standards are unfair.)
A FINAL WORD:
Being aware of the possible consequences of revealing too much in your personal essays is the first step. Ultimately, though, it’s up to you to weigh the benefits of your artistic expression against your ability to gain outside employment. Choose wisely.
