If you know, social media could help as well as hurt your career. Social media could be used to your benefit and you might land yourself into a job offer.
However, if you are careless then it could be otherwise.
In this article we try to look how social media could help building your career however at the same time it could hurt your career too.
You would like to learn how it can help you and how you can avoid hurting yourself.
So let us first see how it can really help you, and later we shall see how it can hurt you.
Social Media could help your career in following Ways
1. Create Your Profile on Google+, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
If you look positively then social media could really help you in getting a job. The first thing when you
enter the social media you need to do is creating a profile.
Creating a profile could be the most difficult task if you are serious about social media. It could take weeks to create a perfect profile that represents you in a more professional way.
You need to create your profile on Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter also. Take your time and come up with something that people are interested in and they might love your profile.
I would only suggest being genuine and using your real photographs and other details.
2. Follow Companies, Innovators and thought Leaders
You need to stay in touch with various companies, innovators and other thought leaders.
If your area is about marketing then follow all the great marketing agencies and people who pioneer marketing trends.
You need to engage them in a conversation. It could be on Twitter or Facebook. If one of them responds you then build a conversation and get all the knowledge you wanted.
You could also listen to Ted Talk videos on YouTube. Follow all innovators and leaders who pioneer something new in their area.
Engage them in a conversation and you might end up getting a job offer.
3. Share Your Thoughts by Micro-blogging and Blogging
Blogging is a powerful tool and you cannot afford to ignore or overlook it. If you get time then do blog about your work and other hobby.
You must find readers who like to read your blog. Catch up with their comments and learn what they have to say.
If you cannot blog then micro blogging is yet another option. You save a lot of time and get across your idea very conveniently.
Twitter possibly could be the best Micro blogging platform and you could get thousands of platforms instantly.
Hence learn to blog and micro blog if you want to build your career.
4. With the Passage of Time You Got to Have Fans and Followers
As you spend more and more time on social media like Facebook, Twitter, blogging you got to have fans and followers.
People on internet must know you. Not all but in your network. People who are like minded must know you if you want to make best out of social media.
Fans and followers prove that you have genuine followers and people appreciate what you are trying to do online.
The best ways to get fans are by using Facebook and Twitter. If you are on Twitter and your tweets are good then you could get a lot of followers.
5. Establishing an Authority is Very Important
Get fans and followers is different than establishing an authority. Establishing an authority could be the most difficult thing.
You have to come up with something that people would believe is very genuine and authentic. One way to do is by solving their problem.
If you have some kind of solution to their problems then you could establish your authority. It takes time and but very important if you want to be successful with the help of social media.
6. Build a Network or Sphere of Your Influence
Now social media is all about building a network. Your network must include relevant people. If your area of interest is about technology then your fans and followers must be interested in Technology.
Your network or sphere of influence must include people who are related to technology. Like professionals working for some of the largest tech firms in the world.
People like HR, software engineers, managers and other employees. If they are in your network then you might get a job very easily.
However, creating an area of influence or a network is not an easy thing. It takes time and a lot of effort.
7. Post, Upload, Tweet, Write Something Relevant to Your Profile
The last tip is about posting, tweeting and uploading content that is not just appropriate but relevant and objective.
Your every post, tweet, uploads like photos, videos must be relevant to what you are projecting yourself.
You could plan all this before and then post things online because everything you do online, it matters.
As I said earlier establishing an authority and building a network are most important things on social media.
So be careful what you do online.
Hence, these were some tips how social media can make your career. You could keep them in mind and move forward.
However, you could also misuse social media to your disadvantage and many people do. If you know facts then people use social media negatively.
If you are doing so then you could stop it.
Social Media could also hurt your career in following Ways
1. An Anonymous Online Profile
Never do this mistake. If you are online with an anonymous profile then you are hurting yourself. I have seen online people using photos of celebrities, cartoons and other stuffs as their profile.
If you think that is going to help you then you are wrong. You might fail to establish any authority if you remain anonymous online.
People want to see your face and your full profile. So never compromise on these things, many do and they fail.
2. When Your Remarks, Tweets are Terrible
If you troll people on twitter then you are doing a great disservice to this platform. You need to learn basic etiquette when you go online.
If your remarks, comments and tweets are full of abuse then you could forget about getting a job online. It is because nobody is going to notice you.
People online do engage in such things and the fail to realize the potential of social media.
3. Too Critical of Clients and Work Conditions
Never criticize your employers and clients on social media. If you are doing so then you are not building a good profile of yours.
If you are already employed then you might also lose your job. If you are also complaining about work conditions and colleagues on Facebook or Twitter then you could be in great trouble.
This has happened earlier that companies have fired people because they criticize about work conditions, their colleagues and employers.
4. Your Blogging Content is about Inappropriate Things
If you are creating content that is inappropriate like violent, racist, pornographic in nature then you might hurt yourself.
Many people tend to use blog in a wrong way. If you are doing so then you could hurt your career. Do not post inappropriate content, if it is noticed by your employers then you might lose your job.
Blog responsibly in your advantage.
5. People Online Complain About Yourself
If you found trolling others on twitter or spamming with comments on Facebook, YouTube etc. then you could end up in a great trouble.
If community and other people declare you offensive then you have no chance on social media. You could do other blunders too if you want to get blocked on Twitter or Facebook.
Similarly, there could be many other ways that can put yourself in a great problem if you do not know to behave online. Come clean on social media otherwise you are hurting your career badly.
These were some of the things regarding social media that can hurt your career. You must avoid them if you are on social media for establishing a career.
Follow first seven ways to build your career using social media. If you learn the basic etiquette of social media then you have a great career ahead.
At the same time you must avoid last 5 things because it could take you down.
