Tuesday, July 28, 2015

How Your Rants on Social Media May Cost You Your Next Client or Job - 7 Tips (actually 8) to Make Sure It Doesn't

You are soooooooooooo done with that hospital and their policies!

Your social media rant is full of &%$#**.

Your memes ooze with sarcasm.

Could your personal integrity as seen on social media just cost you that doula interview?  

Does that hospital wonder about your rants and consider that before hiring you?

The answer to both of these questions is YES!

Forbes magazine made this statement in 2013.  Imagine what it must be like today!

To help job seekers better understand the role of social media in their job search, CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey last year that asked 2,303 hiring managers and human resource professionals if, how, and why they incorporate social media into their hiring process.
First they found that 37% of employers use social networks to screen potential job candidates. That means about two in five companies browse your social media profiles to evaluate your character and personality–and some even base their hiring decision on what they find.
The above statistic now stands at over 90% - that's right, 90% of potential employers use social media to vet applicants.  The employers not only evaluate the posts of potential applicants but also grammar, spelling, word structure, and photos posted.  In addition to all of that, employers and potential clients also look at religious affiliations and political affiliations.
So what platforms to employers/clients use the most?  Most will look for you on LinkedIN, so you will need a strong and positive appearance there.  Next is Facebook.  Least used are Twitter and Instagram (no, this isn't a green light to air dirty laundry on Twitter and Instragram!).
What does that mean to the birth professional, childbirth educator, massage therapist, doula or lactation consultant?
Here are 7 tips to ensure that social media vetting does not remove you from consideration:
1. Always present a professional image.  Always.  Always.
2. Be thoughtful before you post a rant or make a negative comment.
3. Monitor your privacy settings often on any platform.
4. Remember that HIPAA applies to social media (see ICEA's Position Paper on Social Media and HIPAA).
5. If in doubt about a post, delete it.
6. Don't say anything on social media you wouldn't say in person to 500 of your friends.
7. Save caustic rants for your diary or your mirror.
8. Understand that what you put on the internet, stays on the internet!

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