7 Things That Shouldn’t Be on Your Public Social Media Accounts

Don’t tweet that. No, seriously.

Everyone’s been there: photos from a wild Friday night in college find their way online. Facebook’s face recognition algorithm detects you, and just like that, you’re tagged in the post. You don’t pay much attention to it””after all, it’s college! Everyone has embarrassing photos of themselves on the Internet!””but now that you’ve graduated and you’re searching for jobs, the last thing you’d want to happen is for that photo to resurface and have potential employers see it.

Nowadays, it’s not that big of a deal anymore if employers find drunk photos of a potential employee. In the United States, a study conducted in 2016 by AI-based hiring solution Fama found that the appearance of alcohol on a person’s social accounts had “little to no effect on their job performance.”

It’s important to maintain an online presence, especially in the digital age, because the Internet””and all that comes with i “”is becoming more and more a vital part of life. What’s important is that the presence and identity that you cultivate is one that is proper, work-friendly, and respectable.

Here are the things that should never be found on your social media accounts, whether that’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

1. Offensive, bigoted jokes
How you joke and kid around reveals a lot about the way you think and the way you are as a person. Beyond avoiding posting bigoted or hateful jokes on the Internet, take a step back and avoid making the joke or statement at all. Employers who find that potential employees use racial slurs or hateful language will see it as an indication of your character.

2. Complaints
This doesn’t mean mentions to brands’ customer service accounts (although do keep those Tweets or comments respectful and polite, rather than rude and angry), but rather, incessant, nonstop complaints about “hating your job” or “hating life” or “hating school.” It’s not a good look for yourself, because potential employers will see that all you do is moan and grumble, and think of it as a reflection of you as an employee. While ranting and venting about one’s job is a perfectly normal part of it, it’s best done in private””especially if you’re talking about a former employer, and even more so if you name names. Employers seeing such negativity from a potential employee this early in the hiring process will cause them to look elsewhere.

3. Drug-related content
The biggest no-no for your social media accounts: anything related to drugs. Companies are generally drug-free, and they administer drug tests as a pre-employment requirement, so if they find drug-related content on your social media””whether it’s a joke, a mere reference, or a straightforward remark that you’re doing any, you could be saying goodbye to a potential offer. Hint: be careful what you “like,” too, as that could be representative of your values, even if you just found something funny.

4. Updates during work hours
If you currently have a job, and you post a lot during work hours””say, between 8 am to 5pm””your employers may think twice about hiring you, because tweeting or updating your social media accounts a lot during office hours can indicate that you’re not doing your job or that your slacking off. So

5. Profanity
Dropping the f-bomb every now and then is unavoidable. It happens: you’re frustrated with something and in a burst of emotion, you tweet something profane. Just make sure that once you’ve cleared your head, you go back and delete the tweets, as profanity can turn many employers off.

6. Poor communication
By now, employers have the understanding that “text speak” is something that exist””so your “u”’s and “ur”’s could slide, but having run-ons for sentences and fragments all over your social media accounts could be a cause for concern. Remember: it’s one thing to have a distinctive “tone” when you’re on your accounts, as long as every choice is made deliberately. And believe us when we say: yes, employers can tell the difference.

7. Nothing
Nowadays, it’s a lot weirder to not have an online presence. Employers””especially those involved in technology or social media management””disregard potential employees who are invisible on the Internet. Having your social media account private can also set alarm bells, because it looks like you have something to hide. Sure, you can have your personal Twitter or Facebook private, but having a social media account meant for professional matters is good. Make sure that you’re active, too, because inactive social media accounts also raise eyebrows.

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