I realize that you are a great human being and have accomplished more than most people at the ripe old age of 22, but please cool it on the status updates, tweets, and photo albums. There is a point where it is simply too much and you will be looked at more of a “tool” than someone who is well accomplished. We discuss our personal brand and online presence all of the time and this is just one more piece of that total brand you should be shooting for.
Just as in the real world, you need to be completely cognizant of what you are posting or uploading on to websites. You may think that something as innocent as updating your status 10 times a day as something that will not impact your career, but lets just say four years down the road, you just so happen to be interviewing with someone who was your “friend” on Facebook and all they can remember about you is your constant status updates and your obsession with commenting on photos. Do you think they want an employee who is constantly going to be on a social-networking site while they are at work or an employee who is going to tweet about his struggles with the organization? These are certainly extreme examples, but not being “That Guy” is pretty easy, so here is a list of questions to ask yourself before you let the world know what is going on in your life.
Does this relate to work? Unless it is your job to speak about your organization on the web please use your discretion before you go tweeting about XYZ Company. Some people are paid to do this type of marketing and most likely you are no that person.
How personal is this? Honestly, no one wants to hear about your struggles. It’s simple. Life is hard for everybody. You are not the only one that had a rough week, so please don’t bring everyone else down with you.
Am I bragging? Yes, the thought of owning a brand-new BMW is pleasant, but guess what, no one else cares about your new ride. In the eyes of your followers or your friends you basically just said, “I am either very spoiled or make a lot of money”. Both of which, no one cares about.
You can have too strong of an online presence and it is a very fine line, but do me a favor and play it on the safe side, because you will never know who is taking inventory of the content you release into the web. By eliminating the little mistakes that your peers are consistently making, you will be able to separate yourself from the pack and continue to make strides toward becoming remarkable
Brendan Wales is a co-founder of StarvingFreelancers,com, a site dedicated to bringing together talent and opportunity. He studied Finance at the University of Georgia and enjoys working with small-businesses. Two of his favorite authors are Jack Kerouac and Ayn Rand. Wales’ goal in life is to wake up in the morning and be excited about going to work.
