Without social media, most of us would have a lot more hours in the day – and arguably a lot less to do. We connect with our friends over Facebook, influencers on Twitter and LinkedIn, our favorite brands on Instagram (or some combination of the above). Given how essential networking is to finding a job these days, some of us might not even be employed if we couldn’t connect via social, right?
Maybe not. In this week’s roundup, we look at controversial advice from two experts who think you should get off social media. That, plus ways to mess up a good first impression over email and negative thoughts that might derail your success, in this week’s roundup.
Jessica Stillman at Inc: How to Dramatically Increase Your Chances of Success Today: Quit Social Media
“…not only are these sites often essential for maintaining a social life these days, but we’ve all been told that maintaining a suitable professional profile online is key to career success too,” Stillman writes. “It’s what the gurus call ‘personal branding,’ and if you’re not doing it, you’re harming your chances of getting ahead, right?”
At least two experts argue that you’re not. In fact, they say, you’d do well to get off social media entirely and give up the personal branding crusade as a bad deal. If this sacrilege has you doing your best impression of the WOW emoji, Stillman’s recap might change your mind. In any case, it’ll make you think twice about devoting so much of your precious time to scanning your feeds.
James Hu at The Savvy Intern: Email Mistakes: The Best Way to Ruin Your Carefully Crafted First Impression
“First impressions matter, and all job seekers know they must present the best version of themselves in interviews and on their resumes,” Hu writes. “What do a lot of job seekers fail to realize? Your email mistakes could ruin that first impression entirely.”
It’s not just about typos or failing to send a thank-you note, either. Hu reminds us that hiring managers have an arsenal of tools at their disposal to make their jobs easier. Sometimes, those tools make things harder on you, the job seeker. For example, did you know that there are Chrome extensions that will tell a curious hiring manager how many times you read their email? We live in the future – but sometimes, for job seekers, it can feel like a dystopian one.
Find out how what else you might be doing to tank your chances, in this post.
Jessica Sweet at Wishing Well Coach: 7 Negative Thoughts that Prevent a Happy Life & Career
“You’ve heard before that ‘thoughts become things.’ And it’s true for negative thoughts just as much as positive ones,” Sweet writes. “If you tell yourself that something can’t happen, it won’t. You set yourself up for feeling trapped, and being trapped, in a career and life that just isn’t right for you.”
Sometimes, negative thoughts are subtle. For example, how many times have you put something off because you’re “too busy right now”? It’s perfectly true — but it’s also likely to remain true, life being what it is. Sweet’s post will help you identify other traps of negative thinking that might be tripping you up.
Tell Us What You Think
What’s the best career advice you’ve read this week? We want to hear from you. Tell us your thoughts in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.
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