Today I’m going to discuss a topic which I myself am guilty of not fully living up to myself in recent times: social media etiquette. What is social media etiquette? To put it simply to explain, it’s the “what not to do” on social networking websites. I’m referring to LinkedIn, specifically. Now, I’m not saying you have to be the steadfast unwavering male priest in the roman catholic church. Even priests have their vices (they’re human) and so will you. Don’t take a holier than thou approach to etiquette, that’s part of etiquette as I will explain. Actually, the word etiquette is probably misleading so I will define: It’s not the “what not to do”, it’s the “what you should do”, or, how to be empathetic (without actually saying or doing anything) to come off as a pleasant and sociable person. Like good alcohol, it comes with age and experience. It’s why “youth is wasted on the young,” and “age and experience beats youth and exuberance.” It’s what /you don’t see/.
You wouldn’t go to a fine restaurant and complain rudely to the waiter that your steak is still raw. The chef cooked it to perfection; he slaved away in his hot kitchen for YOU. If you wanted your steak cooked more, you would politely ask the waiter if they could cook your steak more. You wouldn’t ask for another steak, that’s a $50 steak cooked to perfection for YOU. The chef wants you to be happy, and he wants to accomodate you, however he is busy with other meals for other guests, taking care of the kitchen. You ask the waiter politely and with resepct to cook your food more. He doesn’t have to serve you. You came into HIS restaurant. The soup nazi always said “No soup for you” and he meant it. Now you should know why. If you don’t, you need to learn etiquette.
The same thing goes for LinkedIn. This is not Facebook, and even if it were “FacedIn,” would you really treat your friends rudely? Do you need to share every little detail about why your last employer wanted you to work extra hours and how inconsiderate they were for doing so? Most of us are here to find jobs and move on with our lives. It’s just unfortunate that “FacedIn” has been filled with comments that we don’t need to share, things we don’t need to say because in the end they only hurt /US/ and tarnish our own reputations as professionals (and remember what I said about that)! So, think for a minute before you post, do you really need to post that?
When it comes to etiquette we all need to learn something important, because the overwhelming trend is that our etiquette sucks. You will stand admidst the Gods if you learn some humility and respect, compassion and empathy, professionalism. It’s not something you should simply do for your career, it’s about being a Good human, and if you believe, being a good child of God: He loves you (whether you accept it or not), and He wants the best for you. Be nice to each other and show some decency.
#experience #career #socialmedia #respect #linkedin #empathy #socialnetworking