Impacts of Social Media on Career

  

Date Posted: 10/3/2018 1:19:16 AM

Posted By: Milnel  Membership Level: Silver  Total Points: 367

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Social media refer to various platforms in which people and organizations use to transmit information. These platforms include Facebook, LinkedIn, Tweeter, Whatsapp among others. Social networks have both positive and negative influence on individual’s career. However, the impacts of social media on career development depend on how the person manages them. The wise person will utilize these networks as opportunities to win his or her employer’s favor by posting only relevant information. Many people have been carelessness with the information they posted on social platforms such that their careers were affected adversely. The hiring decisions undertaken by most employers depend on information from the social media. This article will address various ways in which social media can harm or help someone’s career.

Major Platforms and Their Uses

As seen earlier, Social media are forms of technology that helps facilitators in the transmission of information through a virtual network. For instance, Facebook is a social networking site where its users upload photos, create profiles, send messages, and be able to communicate with friends and relatives. Twitter is also a blogging site that enables individuals to share short post called tweets. The users can broadcast their tweets and also follow the tweets of other members. Google site helps people to carry out research work since it contains a variety of information on all fields including education, business, and agriculture. Therefore, Social media can help ones career at the same time hurt that career in the following ways;

Positive Impacts of Social Media on One’s Career

Most employers rely on social media to screen the information on the potential candidates for the job. Therefore, a person can use this trend as an opportunity to win the employer’s favor. In this case, the candidate can update his or her profile and all other information to suit the

potential employer’s expectations. Any information posted on the social media platforms should be in line with the qualities that the employers might want.
Also, being active on the social media is advantageous. An active user can manipulate their profiles easily on social network whenever an opportunity arises. Most employers hire people with excellent communication skills, creative minds, good personality, and wide rage range of interests. All these are communicated through what people post on the social media platforms.
Social media can also give a positive impact to the society. These networks have the ability to expand the mindset of the young researchers and scholars. The information shared on these platforms influences the way an individual thinks and reason out issues at hand. Social media influences how a person will interpret a problem and reach out to a solution. For instance, a person might learn from the social media how to react to certain issues in the workplace.
Social media has also encouraged the young generation to venture into business. An individual can market their goods through Facebook. Since Facebook has a large number of users, the seller will easily get market for the goods at hand. Blogging has also become a source of earning a living. The young generation therefore has easily turned blogging into a money making opportunities.
Social media also helps people to gain skills on their careers. Groups created in tweeter and Facebook allow users to share problems and how to solve. As a result, people use these platforms to get strategies for effective leadership and management roles. When people come together and share different ideas and various information, colleagues who are not aware of the ideas get acquainted with what they could be missing, thus a development in personal career and knowledge.

Negative Impacts of Social Media on One’s Career

The process of job search in the current world is different from that in the olden days. The process subjects the candidate to both normal interview and an out-of-office examination. Potential employers do not only assess the candidates’ resume but also searches through the information from the social networks. However, most people who seek employment are not aware that an out-of-office examination exists. Social media sites have been used to expose private information to the public. Therefore, the careless use of the social networks can affect an individual’s career adversely. For example, people tend to post photos of their former bosses, indicating their weaknesses. As a result, employers who value information from the social media may not pick on such a candidate for lack of confidentiality.
Secondly, over dependency on these platforms renders individuals lazy. Some people are used to rely on information easily from the internet. When such a person is left to reason on out, it becomes quite difficult for one to give a quality, reasoned out work. Therefore, social media hinders one’s career by instilling laziness and dependency.
More so, the kind of friends that an individual might have on social media is also a threat to their careers. Your friends on the social platforms may post anything about their colleague which might seem like a joke or fun, without knowing the weight those mere words might be carrying. For example, the information might be portraying someone’s weakness such as being so extravagant or poor time manager. The post may also indicate how you are short tempered. As a result, the recruitment team will scrutinize that information and cause you to miss the chance to partake the interview.


Conclusion

The social media can either harm or help build your career. Creative and wise individuals will be favored by the Social networks. Such people are very careful on what they share with the public and what issues must remain concealed. Similarly, ignorance can cause more harm to an individual’s career. For instance, a person can post his or her photo when they were drinking alcohol in a club. Such people are considered irresponsible by employers. Therefore, such candidates are disqualified and cannot be shortlisted for the interview. Therefore, the way you use social media networks will determine the impact on your career development. Social media may help you to advance or ruin your dreams forever.

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