The Public or Private Profile Debate
I love social media! I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that a fair amount of my daily news intake comes via Twitter. When the East Coast was hit by an earthquake over the summer, I felt the earth move in my office, but it was the tweet I received 10 seconds later that confirmed for me it was indeed an earthquake! I’m on Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter. I also have people following me on Pinterest but have yet to figure that one out completely.
Consider Your Content
I’m often asked to weigh in on the public or private debate when it comes to social media sites. Although everyone has to make the choice for themselves, my advice is when making your decision, consider your content and how it reflects on your personal brand. I can only speak for myself when I say this, but I’ve never googled or searched for the social networking pages of potential candidates. Not necessarily, because I’m not curious, but honestly because I just don’t have the time. But if I were to take a look at the profiles and pages of applicants, I hope the content would serve as affirmation that they’re indeed the right candidate for the job or internship and not make me doubt that they are the person they appeared to be during the interview.
I’m not saying that you should restrict yourself to vanilla tweets that will impress future employers (“In the library studying!”, “Getting a head start on my final project”, “Dean’s List for the 12th time!”etc.), I simply ask that you acknowledge that with public profiles comes great responsibility. Your presence on social networking sites should add to the value of your brand, not downgrade it.
Frequency
Social networking is one of my job duties and I work for a VP that is super-tech savvy and shares my affinity for staying connected–I’m a very lucky girl! As a result, it’s acceptable for me to tweet, post, blog, and peruse throughout the work day. Not all managers are as tolerant and open-minded. Therefore, regardless of if you’re private and especially if you’re public, you want to be mindful of how often you post or tweet while working. Too many posts and there may be the perception that you aren’t focusing on work and depending upon the company’s policy, further action on their part may follow.
Know Your Audience
Currently the majority of my Twitter followers are students that I’ve met at conferences or have interviewed for opportunities with Hyatt. I often wonder if they feel a little stifled because we’re connected in the Twitterverse, but this leads me to my last tip. When deciding to be public or private, keep in mind your audience. I assume the students who follow me, do so to get to know me better, but perhaps mostly for career advice and information on my organization. Therefore, I want to respect them and give them just that! I save the pics of my best friend’s adorable children for my private Facebook page. Not because those pictures don’t align with my personal brand, but truly because I know my audience and what they’re expecting from me. I’d love to hear your opinion on the public or private debate! Feel free to share in the comments below!
