Creating an Online Footprint

             Using social media can be fun and entertaining, as most of us know.  Social media can also cause a lot of problems.  Many people believe having accounts on sites like Facebook or Instagram can create conflict and drama, which is not always the case.  The most important thing to note is that it can cost you your job or hinder you from getting into a good school or career, which is also preventable.  There are not only ways to avoid standing out to a future job or college in a negative way, there are also ways of standing out in a positive way. 

            Things most people do on social media is post statuses or pictures, tag people in those statuses or pictures, and comment on other people’s things including their own.  Avoid using profound language or content when doing these things.  If someone finds that you have posted something that offends them and you know about it, you should take it down to avoid conflicts.  It doesn’t look very professional if there is a photo that you posted with a comment asking for it to be taken down and it is still up.  Lastly, do not air your dirty laundry online.  Complaining about how hard your life is or how difficult someone you know is being makes you look bad and no one wants to work with someone who they think will complain a lot.

            Ways to make you look good on social media can be to post about your accomplishments.  If you did volunteer work or attended a career related event, then post about it and share your pictures because that is going to show people how dedicated you are.  When you apply for colleges or for jobs, believe that these men and women are going to be looking you up and if the first thing they see is you involved in a great educational or career related project then it will give you a larger chance of getting in to that school or getting that job.