Your Brand Never Takes a Rest

As I was scanning my LinkedIn feed, I read a few posts that made an indelible impression on me. One was a rant from a seemingly frustrated job searcher who complained about zero interviews in more than an 18-month period.  The other post was loaded with grammatical errors.  It was cringe-worthy.   I am not sure which was worse: the post in which the writer spelled employment with an “i” (imployment) or the very negative and apathetic post with the grammar issues.  I thought to myself, “Of course, you are not getting interview requests!”   Any savvy recruiter or hiring manager will check a candidate’s online presence, especially LinkedIn.   The following are three tips to protect your brand when posting comments on social media.

1.) Draft offline before you post online.

If you are writing more than a quick one or two-line remark, consider drafting your post in a text editor or MS Word.  You can then use spell check to (hopefully) catch any glaring errors. While this is not fool proof, it is a start. Also, it has the added benefit of preventing you from slipping and hitting “post” or “send” before you are ready.

2.) Think twice about how your message will be perceived.

LinkedIn and other social media outlets are not places for knee-jerk reactions, not if you want to build and protect your brand.  If you disagree fervently or want to throw your support to a controversial poster, take a moment to consider how your message will be perceived. The same rule applies when sharing personal information that can make you vulnerable. Social media has given us all a lens – and a deep one at that into other people’s thoughts and feelings, some of which should remain private.  In the example mentioned above, the job seeker should have never published his lack of any interviews. I understand he’s frustrated, I do. However, you need to find a way to release your frustrations in a forum that is not public. People in demand command higher salaries. When it comes to job searching less is more in terms of being vocal about prospects, salary, and interview rate.  

3.) Proofread carefully.

Most mistakes in online posts are probably the result of quick fingers and a lack of review before posting.  Nonetheless, it is easy for readers to judge you based on glaring spelling and grammatical mistakes.  Take that extra moment to proofread your post before submitting. You can get away with this on your IPhone with the simple “Please execute any typos” message. On LinkedIn and other social sites, you can’t.

The takeaway message is that your brand never takes a rest.  Your brand is on display at all times.  This is in the form of your social media posts, your resume, your personal interactions, your appearance, and your connections.  Make the extra effort to ensure you promote a positive brand. Your career and your online presence will thank you.