Personal vs. Professional Social Profiles: Should You Separate Yours or Be Completely Transparent?
I recently got interviewed for my college magazine about social media and how I use it personally and professionally.
One of the things I realized during the interview is that I don’t really have a line between my professional and personal presences online. I’m friends with both real life friends and professional contacts alike on all platforms I’m apart of.
I share both personal and professional posts and information. I share photos and I share information…for everyone to see.
All of this got me to thinking…should there be a line drawn? Why do people draw that line? What are the implications of having or not having a line drawn?
There are two major lessons I’ve learned about the tie between personal and professional and the implications from social media.
Lesson #1: Decide what’s right for you.
Is having your professional and personal lives tied so closely together right for everyone? Absolutely not. Most people feel more comfortable keeping their personal and professional lives separate.
I think of my Dad immediately – a retired police officer – who has never had a desire to have a social media presence, thanks to his work.
For me, the fact that I’ve shown who I am as a person to potential clients has done me well: it may deter the wrong type of partnerships and encourage the right type of jobs. Being completely transparent is how I tend to be naturally, and that’s why having a transparent presence online is the best choice for me.
Lesson #2: Know that what’s on the Internet will always be there.
This is a lesson I constantly try to teach the younger part of my generation, specifically the college cheerleaders I coach.
The one reason I have the ability to be transparent online is because I’ve made the decision to never post anything online that I wouldn’t want the world to see.
I ask myself before I post anything: do I want a friend to be able to see this? My parents? My Grandmother? My business contacts? A future client? As long as the answer is yes, I can post away. If the answer is no, that thought/video/photo will never be online.
What are your rules for your professional vs. personal online profiles?