Be careful, that social media post can haunt you forever!

The beginning of September does not only indicate the start of spring and a promise of warmer weather, but it is also the time of the year when matriculants and university graduates start thinking of what their future holds after graduation/ passing matric.

Many of them will start compiling their CVs and sending them to prospective employers in the hopes of landing that first job, but, without them knowing it there might be one thing that stands in their way – the internet and social media!
It is astonishing how many emails I receive from young people asking us to remove a missing person’s article that was published on our websites a few years ago. The reasons they state usually include the following, “I am in the process of applying for employment, and this article is making it difficult for me to find a job”.

This made me think, do young people realise how their social media activity can impact their lives? It is well known that, once something is posted on social media platforms, the chances of it being on the internet forever are quite good. One photo can be shared a million times and you can never be sure exactly where that photo will end up.

I speak from experience when I say that many employers use social media during the hiring process. I have checked out almost every prospective candidate’s Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), and other social media accounts, and based many a decision on what I have found there. The opposite is also true, should there be no social media activity found, an employer might also feel hesitant.

So, what should you do? It is all about balance. If you are very active on social media platforms, ensure your activity is of such a nature that it would not put you in a bad light. Try not to post that provocative photo, snarky comment, or videos/ memes about politics, religion, or any other subject that might land you in hot water. If you have been previously employed, keep your complaints about your previous employer off of social media.

You can also go through your social media accounts and ensure all the photos/ memes, status updates/ videos your friends have tagged you in, are above board. Check your social media posts for grammar and spelling mistakes and correct them, your use of ‘there, their and they’re’ might just put your future employer off. It can also prove valuable to Google yourself every once in a while.

If you do not have any social media accounts at all, try to at least have an updated LinkedIn profile, to ensure you are not totally invisible.

Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other …