5 Social Media Don’ts for Law Students
by Ashley Matthews
Today, social media is a part of almost every law student’s life. With the click of a button, you can see all the information you ever needed to know (and more) about everyone you know (and even those you don’t). Navigating the dense and over-populated world of social networking sites can get tricky as we make the transition from law student to legal professional, so check out FindLaw’s 5 Things Law Students Should Never Do on Social Media (originally reported by Mashable):
1. Illegal Activities
This one is a no-brainer, and most savvy law students don’t actively post pictures on social networks of themselves smoking a bong at a party or joy-riding in a cop car. However, what you may not know is that Facebook’s new Timeline feature makes finding those underage-binge-drinking photos as easy as clicking on the year “2003” on your profile. Thoroughly check all your social networking profiles to make sure no old photos can come back to haunt you in your new career.
2. Bullying
Everyone knows a cyber bully, and we’ve probably all seen a few bitter e-wars waged on Facebook or Twitter. Be wary of engaging in any negative or spiteful banter on social networking sites, as most of everything you post is searchable!
3. Disparagement of Professor
Has your professor ever said something that made you want to throw your casebook out of a window? This happens all the time, but keep it to yourself. If potential employers (or their friends) see or hear about you posting negative comments, they will more than likely think of it as disrespectful. It could actually hurt your chances of getting a job, and could do more to hurt your reputation than the professor you are griping about.
4. Lies
Okay, lying is always bad. But many have been known to slightly bend the truth for the sake of a Twitter bio or Facebook status update. Try not to fall victim to the rat race of competitive posts boasting perfect grade-point-averages or lucrative job offers. As Andrew Lu of FindLaw points out, “Should you ever enter the public sphere either as prosecutor or as an elected official, you should remember that the things you post as a 20-some-year-old may be vetted and could come back to haunt you.”
5. Unprofessional Pictures
Sure, your LinkedIn profile picture is the epitome of professionalism. However, a quick Google search could quickly show employers every profile picture on all your more personal social networking pages – even if your page is private. Find a happy balance between fun and professional, and you can’t go wrong.