Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Post Something Controversial on Social Media
Your posts on social media can have an effect on your career
It became a trending story in 2018 when a woman posted on Twitter that they had landed an internship at NASA, and then promptly lost it. Her celebratory post included foul language. When another Twitter user gently chided her over her language, she replied in an even more colorful manner. Since the exchange was hashtagged NASA, however, the Administration heard about it and took away her internship.
Cautionary tales such as these often have little impact. People tend to believe that serious consequences are rare, and wouldn’t occur to them. It’s important to realize that they aren’t as rare as they seem, however. While you do have the right to free speech, posting a controversial opinion can get back to your employer, and hurt you professionally.
Before you post to social media, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions and think about what could possibly go wrong.
Ask yourself what your employer’s social media policy is
Many employers publish detailed company policies to do with what’s allowed and what isn’t. Employees are forbidden from sharing information that…
