Clearing-the-way

Clearing the Way

A significant university held a seminar recently that had a panel of human resource (HR) officers who hired teachers for school districts.  There were several HR officers on the panel who represented different districts within a large metropolitan area. All of the panel members spoke to the value of examining social media posts on their prospective candidates.  By taking a close look at the various components of your social media page, you can improve your positioning significantly.

I read recently about an event that happened when the person was 18 years old that has come back to haunt them for the job of a lifetime when they are in their fifties.  Now, if you’re thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen, we don’t think about this so much unless an adult has sat with them and discussed how important it is to their future.  As we get older, some of the poor decisions we made earlier can be a factor as we try to move on to careers and promotions.

Here are some ideas to start a conversation with your teen:

1. Pick two of your favorite social media sites and review the postings your friends have made.
2. Read them as if you are a prospective employer.
3. Would you approve of the postings?
4. Would you hire this person based on what you see?
5. Are there areas for improvement?

As society moves to be more inclusive of the various lifestyle choices people can make, the door may be wide open for anything you wish to pursue.  As you read through your favorite social media sites, do so to show the very best of yourself and your friends.  Think that someone who is in a position to hire you for the job that you want would like to see the very best of you.  Do your postings and those of your friends display that level of character?   It is good to clear the way now rather than wait until it is too late.

What we are saying is to present your best Self.  Here is the next step, Presenting Yourself – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Best Self has a host of ideas here that may be of interest to you, How To Define Your Best Self – BestSelf Co.

Yours for better parenting,

Rich