Posted by Mark in 
When it comes to using online tools, it is extremely important that you know the slightest misjudgment on your part can cost you your job. We know that the internet has become a convenient gateway to job search, but it has also become a viable tool for employers to keep track on employees or applicants. You can say that your employers don’t have the right to fire you based on what you do after work, but if your “after work remark” derogates the company name or personnel, I assume they have the right to take action, which in most cases starts out by getting you fired.
Today we want to talk a bit about Twitter (If you would like to learn more about Twitter, check out our visual guide to twitter). The networking platform that seems to be talked about almost everyday by both traditional and new media. Although it has become the core platform for many job seekers to find jobs online, it has also established itself as a worst nightmare for job seekers and employees in a sense. Each week it seems like someone is getting fired over their use of twitter. Just search google and you will see what we mean. We’ve been looking into twitter search for a couple days and it’s overwhelming how many people talk so casually about “hating their boss” and everything else. Well, if you really want Twitter to get you fired, these five pointers will certainly help.
1. Tweet how much you hate your boss
When we have a bad day at work or an argument with our co-worker it’s natural to vent. But venting should be done with your close friends and not in public. If you are tweeting something along the line “My boss is an a**hole,” chances are there will be more than one person seeing it. Think of it like like getting on a stage and yelling at the top of your voice. Even if you have only a few close friends in you twitter network, some friends might find it good enough to RT and with that it might just catch the “retweet fire.” This is almost a guaranteed way to lose your job.
2. Brag yourself up on successfully lying to your boss
Have you ever lied to your boss? Of course you have. We all have at some point. However, a lie is a lie. If you get away with lying to your boss, don’t start tweeting about it. There is no reason to feel proud of it even though the lie was never caught by your boss. If you end up lying to your boss without getting caught, keep it to yourself and don’t let the world know. There are so many ways one can track someone on the web, especially on twitter that it’s better you keep your lies hidden.
3. Make it public that you are sleeping with your boss
The person who tweeted this had a private profile, but the person who retweeted had a public profile and ended up showing in search.
Lucky? Well, that’s what most think when they are shacking up with their boss, but it can be the downfall of your career. Whether or not you tweet, at some point if things don’t really go the way you want, the whole sex thing won’t do any good for your career. Ohh and if you are going to tweet the fact that you are sleeping with your boss, it will make sure things get ugly even faster for you. Some tend to tweet it just to make themselves look all cool (not sure why), but if you are really sleeping with your boss, what happens in the bedroom keep it in the bedroom. No need to tweet it out for the world to know, especially your boss who might not like it just in case he/she is tracking you on twitter.
4. If you are quitting and don’t think before tweeting
If you are quitting your job and going for a better one, congratulations to you. However, departures should be pleasant and not something fueled by anger. If you are leaving cause you can’t stand it, tell your friends over a beer not on twitter. If you run a search on twitter you will find quite a few tweets related to quitting a job along with defaming comments. If you are quitting a job, you should certainly tweet it to let others know and share your excitement but do it with caution. Your soon to be ex-boss might end up seeing it and who knows, you might end up asking them for references in which case you can’t really blame them if they throw that tweet on your face. If you were planning to quit in a couple days, the tweet might actually get your fired and it won’t really be quitting then, will it?
5. Block your boss and tweet as you please
When you block your boss, your boss won’t be able to see your hate tweets directed towards them. However, if one of your friends who has a public account ends up retweeting your “boss hating tweets,” you are in for a surprise. The golden rule of not getting yourself fired over “tweets” is simple – just don’t vent your work and boss frustrations publicly. If you have to you can, but make sure you know where to draw the line.
Do you have any examples or anyone you know who has been fired over a tweet? Do you think twitter has more benefits for job applicants or has it become more of a liability? Share with us.
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The dreaded private-turned-public retweet can really do some damage, but so many people forget about it. They also forget that you can block someone from reading your tweets, but if your profile isn’t private, someone can just log out of their account and go directly to your profile and read everything anyway. Blocking only works if you’re private. As a rule, don’t Tweet something you don’t want other people reading.
[...] your career, it can certainly end it if you foolishly broadcast nasty things about your employer. Here are five ways Twitter can get you fired, according to Applicant, a job blog: 1. Tweet how much you hate your [...]
are those tweets? It’s so crazy how people have such a lack of judgement when it comes to fb or twitter. In my opinion, venting about specific people you know (roommates, co-workers, etc…) just isn’t something you post or should have a need to. It can be fine in a phone conversation, but telling the world you hate someone just makes you look juvenile.
MissMentor
Well in some corporations you can fired only for use twitter … the best option is to use other name and you can say anything
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I am glad I am not the only one who thinks some people take things a little too far
Your post was informative and timely. We plan to Tweet about it to our job seeker – job search audience.
Best,
Hayley Hudson
J2B Marketing
@j2bmarketing
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I can just say thank you for this wonderful post!
Twitter is really a good way in keeping yourself updated with the day to day activities of your friends and families members. I update my Twitter and personal blog daily.
[...] 5 Ways Twitter Can Get You Fired [...]
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