Should Job Seekers Share Opinions on Social Media?

Taking part in social media discussions is part of our digital life. Job seekers share opinions on socials – like everyone else.

We release our frustrations, banter with our friends, get behind like-minded strangers and occasionally lose our cool with those we disagree with.

However, typing words onto a screen often comes with a delayed (or non-existent) feedback loop. If enough people respond to a misjudged comment, we might be sensible enough to delete it. Sometimes we share inappropriate content that simply sits there. This can create the wrong impression when read by someone who doesn’t know us.

The problem with social media platforms is that we don’t know who is reading (or watching). We might consider that a particular opinion is inoffensive and neutral, but unless we are careful, there will always be the odd comment that crosses someone else’s boundary. This is the usual way of the world on the internet. Is it what you need during your job search?

Few jobs will positively discriminate in your favour in terms of your beliefs and views. But there are plenty of individuals who might decide not to hire you if your views do not match theirs.

Job seekers share opinions – be judged

If you are in the middle of the job search, do you really need a hiring manager checking you out on Facebook and seeing you “like” a post that they disagree with? Isn’t it simply better to steer clear of controversial posts altogether?

It is common practice to undertake a deep clean of all social media history before any job search commences. The problem comes when you are in the midst of a “slow” job search day. You know that you are followed by many people who might hire you and that sharing “opinions” tends to gain traction. So, you post something controversial or like something that you think is popular.

The thing is that if your contacts (who know you) on social are hiring, they will likely be aware of your situation already. You shouldn’t remain silent. Let your network know you are looking for a new role and stick to more positive posts. You don’t need to dominate their news feeds with a stream of opinions and discussions. If anything, that will annoy them rather than intrigue them. Be visible, but keep your activity to a minimum.

Another topic is the etiquette of direct messaging contacts during your search. There is nothing wrong with sending a single message to ask for help or share something worthwhile. As long as you don’t abuse it, this strategy has helped countless job seekers in the past. Of course, you must follow and connect with these people in the first place. Before they do that, they will check out your profile to see what you are sharing….

By all means, vent your frustrations offline, talk to friends in private messages and even keep a diary if it helps to document your thoughts (which is excellent for mental wellbeing). It is human to have opinions. Just keep them to yourself during your search.

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This blog is shared with Job Seeker Duetists. 

Written by former recruitment ghostwriter Paul Drury (not AI).