20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn’t Say on Twitter
Posted on 15. Jul, 2009 by ResumeBear in Career Advice, Featured Articles, Job Humor
With digital screenings becoming as popular as drug testing and reference checks it is more important than ever that you watch what you say online. It may seem harmless now, but it could be the thing that keeps you from getting a job in the future. Several students I spoke with mentioned that they were required to friend their potential employer on Facebook and Linkedin prior to being offered a summer internship.
I searched the comments made in the last few days on Twitter and easily found over 1000 comments that could get someone fired from their current position or possibly hurt them during a future job search. Listed below are 20 examples of things job seekers should not say on twitter:
1. Never talk about how you get drunk at work !
2. Avoid telling everyone how much you hate your job!
3. Never call your boss names.
4. Don’t talk about how you called in sick when you weren’t really sick!
5. Refrain from sharing that you just failed your drug test.
6. It’s definitely not a good idea to steal from work and brag about it on Twitter.
7. Never Tweet about taking naps and playing on the internet instead of working.
8. Don’t talk about getting in trouble at work !
9. Don’t tweet about tricking your boss!
10. No one needs to know you are sleeping with the boss.
11. Do not admit to creating mix tapes at work when you are supposed to be working.
12. Don’t talk about how your boss doesn’t know he’s paying you to watch tv!
13. Announcing that you are quitting without giving notice won’t impress future employers.
14. Don’t tweet about being 2 hours late for work because you’re still hung over from the night before.
15. Don’t tweet about wanting to blow up your office.
16. Don’t tweet about lying on your job application or resume.
17. Don’t talk about reading other people’s mail.
18. Don’t talk about your coworker’s or boss’s body.
19. Don’t talk about doing drugs at work.
20. Don’t broadcast you just got fired or even worse why you got fired.
Many people don’t realize that even if you go back and later protect your updates or even go as far as deleting your Twitter account that your prior comments can still be seen. In a quick search of Twitter today, I found examples of each situation.
In this first example, the user made a comment about an incident at work and then later went back and protected her updates, yet when I searched twitter for certain keywords, I could read her comment in full.
It was only when I went to click on “View Tweet” that the update was protected.
In the other example shown below, a user made a comment about their boss and then later went back and deleted their account.
I was still able to view the full tweet in Twitter search. However, when I clicked on “View Tweet” it was gone and indicated the account had been deleted.
Here are few more crazy ones I found which were sent by people that have their updates protected or recently deleted their twitter account.
The best advice I can share is to just not say anything online that you don’t mind everyone seeing. Don’t think you can just go back later and delete it or protect it. All it takes is google or another search engine to cache it or a friend to retweet it and then the damage is done.
For all of you that are now frantically scrambling to get rid of post you’ve made that you regret making, be sure to check out tomorrow’s post on “how clean up your digital dirt”!
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24 Responses to “20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn’t Say on Twitter”
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Sonny Gill
13. Sep, 2009
I disagree that they shouldn’t say these things. If I were a hiring manager or company doing some online research on candidates, I’d want to read these things so I know not to hire someone that is unethical, doesn’t care about his/her company/position, and plans on taking advantage of their future employer.
Sorry if I sound too harsh, but being on the job hunt, I don’t feel sorry for these people and anyone who is caught saying such things online and in the open for everyone to see.
carocat
13. Sep, 2009
Of course that assumes people use their real name online or are otherwise identifiable..
Michael Ballard
29. Aug, 2009
Thanks! I quite enjoyed these.
These Tweets speak to many issues. Two that come to mind right away is the owner/managers/bosses inability to connect to their staff to engage them in work. The second is the staff not appearing to know or care what they are there to accomplish.
It all comes down to Rights, Roles and Responsibilities. If we know them, and we talk about them and practise them we ensure a higher level of happiness, productivity and longer term success.
Dennis
26. Aug, 2009
Very entertaining…But probably I can’t believe people are twittering all this?! What’s going on inside their brains?
Meet 20 Different Idiots
21. Aug, 2009
[...] People Saying Things That Totally Will Get Them Fired. [...]
Clueless Twits
18. Aug, 2009
These people have no idea that Twitter has a search function and what they Twitter is easily accessible to the public.
Luckily for them most of the people they are Twittering about are just as clueless to this fact.
Good seo/social media link bait piece!
Your words may come back to haunt you | Professional Resume Services
04. Aug, 2009
[...] I couldn’t believe my eyes when I read this post from Resume Bear, “20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn’t Say on Twitter”. From “I just smoked pot at work” to “I slept with the boss last night” to [...]
Warning: People Read Your Twitter Messages!
29. Jul, 2009
[...] you Twitter! I couldn’t believe the things people Twittered, you have to see for yourself: http://www.resumebear.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/15/20-things-job-seekers-shouldnt-say-on-twitter/ Category : [...]
me
29. Jul, 2009
Hehehe….blow up your office…
*thinks of Milton from Office Space*
Ahmie
25. Jul, 2009
As a small business owner and potential future employer, I actually wouldn’t count as a strike against the worker the two in #20 that had spineless bosses fire them digitally (over Facebook – assuming that FB was the method of communicating the individual was fired, not the reason – and via text message). To me, that reflects poorly on the boss. If you don’t have the backbone to tell your employee face-to-face that they’re being terminated, you don’t deserve to be the boss. It’s part of the job description.
Nerdse
22. Jul, 2009
With C level executives helping themselves to bonuses while laying off lower echelons and forcing salaried workers into unpaid overtime, I can actually see why these idiots have no problem with what they’re doing. They’re seeing it, in most US companies, from the top down. I abhor both types of behaviors, but if our C levels and boards had to take paycuts to keep lower echelon workers employed like they do in Japan, maybe we’d have more honor on all levels.
As for the sex claims, YEAH, RIIIIIIIGHT. Sorry, from both men and women, those are mostly lies.
When I think of all the good people out of work, people with multiple degrees who’d take Walmart Greeter if they could get it but can’t unless they lie about their qualifications, this whole system makes me ill.
Concerned
14. Sep, 2009
What Nerdse says is very true. I’ve observed this even a companies listed as the Most Ethical. Management (not just C level of other types of managers) are focused on their second or third vacation home, their bonuses to fund these (for projects where they never contribute anything) at the expense of people who actually DO WORK. Why? Because they CAN and no one is stopping them. Management bonuses is the reason behind many layoffs–they get bonuses for reducing costs or being associated with successful projects-even though they do nothing. Lack of employee engagement rests on management.
links for 2009-07-20 «
20. Jul, 2009
[...] 20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn't Say on Twitter | ResumeBear Blog HT: @lewisshields [...]
Mary
20. Jul, 2009
OMG. These were priceless. Thanks for collecting them all. I still can’t believe the stupidity, but it was good for a laugh
Graham
20. Jul, 2009
I’m surprised they didn’t get fired for their lack of English/communication skills.
John Bunions
19. Jul, 2009
It’s really surprising that people would do something like this and it shows just how dangerous these social sites can be. John
Vince Stevenson
19. Jul, 2009
I find it hard to believe that people would be as silly as to report such activities on a social network site. That said, I have worked in the field of human development for a long time and I recognise there’s still much to do. Rgds Vince
Tired
18. Jul, 2009
Some people are just choosing the wrong outlet for frustration for a job. They should discuss these things with friends or a counselor. It doesn’t matter….in this economy employers hold all of the cards so you can be like these people or be perfect and still expect to be mistreated, harassed or fired without cause with the employer blaming the economy, even if it is not directly impacting your particular field. Whatever. While these employees are very over the top with this broadcasting, many employers are using social media to “profile” applicants in a fashion the police are known for and it has NOTHING to do with whether or not the person is tweeting or mood updating about alcohol or not. Again…whatever.
Asha
17. Jul, 2009
Think before you speak (or tweet).
Dan Harrison
17. Jul, 2009
A really entertaining read, great work! It’s really quite scary how open people are on social media.
It’s not that uncommon for someone to be fired these days for things they’ve said on twitter… in this current climate, can anyone afford to be so careless?
Dan
Bloodymirova
17. Jul, 2009
If you’re stupid enough to tweet about that stuff, then you deserve to get fired. Law of nature.
Joe Turner
16. Jul, 2009
Gives humerous new meaning to the fact that the Internet goes on forever and ever.
Broken
16. Jul, 2009
Here is a tip. Don’t use twitter.
20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn’t Say on Twitter | ResumeBear Blog « Technopodge
15. Jul, 2009
[...] 20 Things Job Seekers Shouldn’t Say on Twitter | ResumeBear Blog. [...]