Presence on Social Media - An Audit

I have a small social media presence, limited to Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. When I googled my name, I realize my name is quite popular and there are numerous “Lisa Rozon’s”. Thankfully they appear to be professionals too, otherwise I’d be concerned if people searched by my name blindly without knowing what I look like. Therefore, I think it's important to include photos that are professional in nature, because anyone with access to social media may be able to search your photos.

I always try to post as though my boss (or future boss) will see it. For this reason, I’m very careful about what I post, and what I comment on. I believe it doesn’t matter how private your settings are – just Googling my name made me realize that private photos can be shared. My mother once tagged me with a picture of me in pj’s and a shower cap. She thought it was cute. I was mortified!

As an employee of Niagara Region, we have a strict policy at work which speaks to representing the Region well, whether it’s through your personal or professional social media platforms. I advise staff to be mindful of this – if they post a comment on something controversial happening in the world, they must explicitly say it’s not the opinion of Niagara Region, if they have put that as their workplace. I play it safe; I don’t post anything I wouldn’t want my manager or my parents to see! Thankfully my sons are not on social media, but I’m sure there will be a time when they get interested!

I have mixed feelings about social media, but I see the benefit of using LinkedIn for professional connections. I’ve reached out to managers when I’ve applied for jobs, and this had led to some success.

I agree that building a professional profile online is important in this job market. I have received resumes with links to people’s e-portfolio’s, and I’ve often interviewed people based on their portfolio, where I might have been less impressed with just their resume.