Flash back to 10 years ago when MySpace was a thing.  I was in middle school and everything mattered way too much.  My boyfriend of three months broke up with me, which meant the soundtrack to my profile consisted of melodramatic break up songs.  Later that day, my cousin came over and saw me peering over the computer.  She heard the break up ballad from across the room and gave me my first lesson in social media etiquette:

Social media is like your virtual tattoo. 

Watch what you post.

The conversation went something like “Jamie, you can’t air your emotions on social media.  It makes you look dumb,” she said bluntly.  Oh.  Right.  I quickly changed the soundtrack to something more upbeat.

Fast forward to present day and this lesson still rings true.  Your social media presence is more important than you may think.   For example:

1. Your job might depend on it. 

Imagine that you are on the job hunt and you have secured an interview for a job you really, really want. I imagine that your future boss might not be amused to read about how annoying you find your previous coworkers via Twitter.  Obviously I wouldn’t do that.  My social media is kept private anyway, you tell me.  Fair enough, but always remember that the expectation of privacy does not exist on the Internet. Once it is there, it is there. Its also important to remember that finding a job is about who you know and your current Facebook friends are also potential job references.  No one wants to vouch for someone who posts inappropriate statuses and photos.

2.You can’t take it back. 

A temporary lapse of judgement might cause you your job or reputation.  For example, we can’t forget about the public relations executive who was fired for her racially-charged statement about AIDS. By the time her flight landed, there were hundreds of thousands people tweeting about her “lapse in judgment.”  This was a large-scale event, but small blunders happen daily.  Learn from this disaster of a situation and think twice before you post anything.

3. You are what you post.

You change drastically over the years, but your social media posts will still be there through it all.  As a freshman or sophomore in college, your main goal might be to attend every Thirsty Thursday at your local college bar. Times change and so do priorities; however, you’ll still be tagged in countless photos looking like you enjoyed your college times a bit too much.  Remember that old saying, you are what you eat? The modern version of that should be you are what you post.  Your social media presence, in essence, is you. Perception is often reality. Look out for your future self and moderate your social content.

These are just a few reasons why you should be conscience of your social media posts.  Do you have specific pieces of advice for upcoming professionals around the globe?