When people secure a new job, it tends to be something they talk about, posting on their social media sites and spreading the news. On the other hand, leaving a job involuntarily is rarely ever an easy situation, and not one that many people would post or brag about. So it is not uncommon after losing a job to forgo immediately rushing to update all of your social media sites with your unemployed status. The question becomes, when do you decide it is time to do so?
Do you wait until the initial pain and shock passes? Do you wait until you have found a new job? Whenever you do, there are a couple ideas to take into consideration in this matter.
1. Getting back out there: After losing a job, you’ll want to get started immediately with the job search. Wasting time not doing so is rarely a good option. Updating your various social media outlets is a key move in the process, as it begins the networking ball rolling. Letting others know you are looking gets the word out and can be potentially beneficial if there is something readily available.
2. Presenting a false impression: Not updating your sites, especially job related sites like Nexxt and LinkedIn can give viewers the false impression that you are still employed for your last company. While this may not always be a problem, it could potentially be one. I have heard of at least one case (Kentucky’s Jefferson Audio Video Systems, Inc. v. Gunnar Light case) where the former employer went after a former employee for not updating his LinkedIn status, making it appear that he was still a representative for the former company. The case attempted to charge the employee with fraudulent misrepresentation. While this may be an extreme case, the point should be understood – if you do not belong to an organization any longer, it is best not to falsely represent things as if you still do.
Plus, remember, when it comes to your post-job updates, it is a real no-no to badmouth or try to bash anyone related to the former employee. No striking out at the management, or the policies, or anyone at all. Those kind of negative remarks give a bad impression of you to any future employers seeing them. Keeping it professional at all times is the best practice, regardless of the circumstances..
Also, be sure you are aware of any contractual obligations you may be under when leaving a company. Depending on the type of company and position you held, you may have been under a non-solicitation, non-disclosure, or non-competition clause, and that could affect your social media life too. Posting things related to the company could be breaking one of these rules, and could lead to legal issues. For instance, if you are in a sales type position, you may have many contacts on your social media sites that are former customers and clients for the old company. If you then post that you work for a new similar company, it could be considered a breach of the non-compete clause, since it could potentially sway some of your former clients to switch their business to your new company.
The world of social media has really changed things in the world of employment, and opens so many doors to professional ethics and legal repercussions, so it is important to watch these things more closely. Some even promote the idea of not connecting with co-workers or managers on your social media sites because of the potential for problems. A lot of that needs dealt with on a case-by-case basis depending on your career type.
In the end, it is just important to consider all that you do on the social media side of things, especially when it comes to the times while you are job searching.
Image courtesy of ddpavumba at FreeDigitialPhotos.net
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!