Who Needs a Professional Online Identity?

I wrote another piece for QUT's Universe Magazine a few months ago and it has finally been published. I'm so excited to see my name in the glossy pages of a proper magazine. Here it is.

We have all been told to delete that drunken selfie and tidy up our social media. In fact before even applying for that dream job we are expected to take down the harmless sexual innuendos and remove those graphic tweets. We know full well potential employers will Google us having been force fed the importance of our professional online identities.

In a world full of funny cat videos and inappropriate hashtags it can be a struggle to decipher what is or is not considered “professional”. We want to remain in touch with our audience, sharing popular memes and witty content, but don’t want to do so at the risk of losing the job. Having experienced this struggle, I complied a list of my top tips on how to stay classy online.

1. Review Facebook tags. So you have woken up a little dodgy from last night’s activities and your head is pounding. As you roll over your phone is lit up with a stream of notifications. This indicates the several embarrassing photos and/or statuses your friends have kindly tagged you in. It creates a whole lot of problems not only because your still “friends” with your Mum and said you couldn’t do the family dinner but because Michele has decided to share the moment she held your hair back in the public toilet. Reviewing these tags saves this embarrassment and gives you some control over what others can tag you in online. Sure, they can still post the photo but it won’t be linked to your specific account.

2. Don’t Snapchat. When you are in the heat of the moment it can sound like a great idea to snap a bunch of 10-second videos, streaming them to countless close friends. But, whilst this may not affect your professional identity there is still sufficient unprofessional content lurking on the Internet. Keeping the snaps to a minimum when going out will not only remain classy but also ensure you actually live in the moment rather than through the eyes of your Rose Gold iPhone 6Plus.

3. Self-publish. Although there are many don’ts when it comes to the World Wide Web there is also a lot of things budding professionals can do to get their name out there and enhance their identities. This can involve the idea of self-publishing through a blog or website. Uploading your Uni assignments can be the first step in creating a professional presence, be a place to voice your opinions and gain a following.

I really hope that at least one of these tips will ease your professional pain as someone that has certainly been there and done that. I assure you there will be professional injustices but at least you can attempt to control them. Whilst at Uni there will be plenty of fun experiences to be had along the way but ensure you post the right ones online.

You can check out the website here: http://qutguild.com/universe/

#ashleighdwan #beyondthestory #journalism