Posting on social media is often thoughtless and is about whatever is currently on your mind or the thing you are doing that moment. Some people are so detailed that you could recite their entire grocery list just by reading their tweets. Others will only post silly pictures of rabbits or cute animals (that’s me). But as fun as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram can be, they can also be very detrimental to your job or career.

It’s been a long debate on whether companies should be able to access their employees’ social media accounts. Of course, since you are under their management and you represent them and the company, they are allowed to look at your online profiles. What does yours look like? Hopefully there are no “Drink. Drank. Drunk” pictures on there or something that could potentially harm you at your job.

However, if you’re like me and like to separate your social and professional lives, then there is one easy trick to be sure your employers steer clear of that awkward picture of you passed out with a sharpie moustache: create two separate accounts.

Have your first account be social; follow whomever and post whatever you would like without worrying about who could potentially be monitoring it. The second account will be for professional usage. It’s a great way to show potential employers that you can and will act professionally. Your social account would be on private and your professional one would be open to the public.

Even though your account is private, employers still have ways of finding out about possible party fouls. Be sure that your friends never tag you in anything crude or obscene; companies will be able to access this information and use it against you.

Of course, the logical answer to the problem would be to never post anything that you wouldn’t want a boss to see. But how much fun is that? It is called social media for a reason, you should be able to be the social butterfly you want to be.

Even though a lot of people won’t be interested in what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, your BFF will always favorite your tweets or like your status and back you up. If you find the idea of two accounts to be idiotic, then so be it. Everyone is entitled to do what they like, but it would be a shame if someone lost a job opportunity just because they accidently put a drunk picture on Instagram of them thinking it was a cute “Selfie-Sunday.” Be smart online and be wary of what you post and who can see the posts. It could, unfortunately, impact your life. 

[email protected]

>