The Do’s and Don’t’s of Social Media

April 18, 2017. Students looking to graduate and find a job need to follow some simple rules regarding social media. Here are some tips on how to use social media as you launch your healthcare career.

DO: Do use social media.

Social media is part of our daily lives. You can project your personal life to friends, family and a new network of people you find online. You can do the same for your professional career. Every student should be using social media or planning to use social media to advance their professional lives.

DON’T: Don’t combine your work life and personal life in the same accounts.

I’m not saying don’t use Facebook, but it should be kept separate from your professional life. Use a different name for your personal account than the name you would use on resumes and cover letters. Use a separate email address.

DON’T: Don’t use social media accounts in unprofessional ways.

Don’t use your social media accounts in any way that could be construed as unprofessional. You can use social media however you choose, but you should be mindful of how people will view how you use it. If you don’t project professionalism through your social media accounts, you’re diminishing your reputation. When you’re conducting business, you’re conducting business. Your sexy tag names are not for business. I’ve seen it destroy many relationships, and it takes time to build relationships with employers.

DO: Keep your Facebook feed public.

Keep your accounts public. I don’t recommend keeping accounts private.

DO: If you don’t have one, do get a LinkedIn account.

LinkedIn is a social media site for professionals. Everyone who goes through this college should have a LinkedIn account. If you don’t know how to create an account, you find instructions online or reach out to Career Services for help.

DO: Use LinkedIn and other sites for your job search.

LinkedIn is extremely valuable, because employers are using it to post positions. Most employers consider a digital presence for job search to be indispensable.

DON’T: Don’t leave questionable content on your Facebook or other social media profiles.

You should assume that employers will look for your Facebook profile during interview process. When you are beginning your job search, you should review your profile. Is there content that you would not want an employer to see? If so, hide it or delete it.

If you are conflicted about doing so, you need to ask yourself, what’s more important? That you have sexy pictures of yourself on Facebook from three years ago, or getting a job?

Look at all of your Facebook Live videos. Is there anything that does not show you in a positive, professional manner? In general, I would recommend that you stay away from Facebook Live.

DO: Expand your network.

Your network is your net worth. Networks are extremely valuable, especially in terms of externship and potential job opportunities.

If you are new to healthcare, then you should consider that your networking begins in school. Most of the time it’s going to be your instructors, who have day jobs in healthcare and could be your foot in the door. Your fellow students are also your future network of colleagues and coworkers. You’ll want to form a good relationship with them so you can stay in contact and potentially help each other out during your careers.