What Not To Say on Social Networks

 I’m sort of amazed that I keep hearing about people getting in trouble at work because of things they’ve posted on social networks. Actually, I’m equally amazed that some of my friends and family members post discipline-worthy things on their pages – all the time. Maybe they have private pages and don’t have co-workers or bosses as friends, but in my opinion, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. With the new Facebook timeline coming up, your boss can easily see what you posted before you were even friends. That’s sort of a recipe for disaster if you aren’t careful, but that’s another story entirely. My point here today is that you should exhibit some self control and avoid posting things that could get you in trouble at work. It’s just not worth it. Even if you don’t care about your current job, future employers definitely don’t want to see that sort of stuff either.

Here are a few posts that could get you into some hot water at work:

“Omg, I’m sooo bored.” -- Posting this during work hours? Not a good idea. If you’re bored, maybe you need more work. Or, maybe you just need a new job. A boss who sees this post might help nudge you in that direction – with a pink slip.

“People around here need an attitude adjustment.” – Again, if you’re posting stuff like this during work hours, everyone knows you’re complaining about your job. They probably even know exactly who you’re complaining about. I’d love to shout this one from the rooftops: Your “cryptic” messages aren’t so cryptic; everyone knows exactly what you’re talking about – and it doesn’t make you look good.

“We just crushed {competitor} in sales this month, yet again” – It’s great to have some “team spirit,” really. Just be careful about what you say about the competition. For one, you might be eating your words when you see they're looking for a senior software engineer and paying much more than you're making, but it also makes your current company look a little petty. Instead, just talk about how great your company is without mentioning the competition.

“Check out this picture of my new [inappropriate] tattoo” – If you don’t want people at work seeing something, don’t post it on the internet. It’s as simple as that.

"This is the best concert I have ever seen in my life!" -- Don't post anything like this after calling in sick to work. It's not very bright and it can get you fired almost immediately.