Tips for maintaining social media after you've been hired

Congratulations, you got the job! You made it through the interviews, the criminal and social media background checks, and the pre-employment drug test. You no longer have to worry about your social media and can go back to retweeting memes, right? Not so fast. Here are a few tips for maintaining social media accounts and profiles after you've landed the job.

Adhere to your company's social media policy

Make sure that you understand and follow the social media policy at your new organization. Don't assume that the policy will be the same as it was at your former job, as these guidelines can vary from company to company. Some businesses may require you to place a disclaimer in your Twitter bio indicating that your posts are personal and do not reflect the views of your company. Other organizations may ask that you use a prewritten statement when describing your job on LinkedIn. In some cases, violating your company's social media policy may lead to termination.

Think before you post

It is likely that you will make friends and connections at your new job, but it is important to keep in mind that anything you post to your social media accounts could potentially make its way back to your company. The way that you present yourself online can negatively impact how you are viewed by your colleagues, managers, and even your company's potential clients. In general, a good rule of thumb is to never post anything that you wouldn't say directly to your boss. Think twice before complaining about your job, posting about playing hooky from work, or sharing a crass joke.

Be aware of privacy settings

Sites like Facebook roll out new privacy updates every couple of months. As a result, a status update about how much you hate your job could wind up visible to your boss. Likewise, an acquaintance could tag you in a questionable party photo and share it with all their friends, and friends of friends. It is better to err on the side of caution and make your accounts and profiles visible only to your friends. You can check out the rest of our Facebook privacy hacks here.

If you follow these suggestions for maintaining social media, you can rest assured that you have complete control of your content. After all, you don't want to lose your new job, or end up on any lists like this one.

Contributing Author: Caitlin Rogers