When deciding what to share online via social media, it's important to consider how what you share may impact your reputation and personal brand. One way to approach this is to think about your values and what you want to be known for. Ask yourself if the content you're sharing aligns with these values and if it presents you in a favourable light. It's also a good idea to review your social media profiles as if you were a potential employer. Are there any posts or photos that could be seen as unprofessional or inappropriate? If so, consider removing them or making them private. Finally, remember that online content can have a long-lasting impact – remember your digital footprint (Module 2: Digital Safety) – so think before you post and always aim to project a professional and positive image.

Also connected to Digital Safety skills, the following infographic provides guidance to help you stay safe on social media.

Image 5.20
Source: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. (n.d.). Staying safe on social media infographic [Image]. Government of Canada. https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/technology/online-privacy-tracking-cookies/online-privacy/social-media/info_sm/ 
Description: An infographic titled "Staying safe on social media". Learners using screen readers can read the text of the infographic from the Privacy Commissioner of Canada website (the source website).

Check out this video to learn more about professional considerations when using social media.

Video 5.8
Source: Snagajob. (2015, December 18). Job Search Tips (Part 20): Do's and Don'ts of Social Media [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWcQax3knAE 
Length: 3:45

Here are some helpful tips for deciding what to share on social media:

Image 5.21
Source: eCampus Ontario
Description: Four tips for using social. The first tip is to think carefully before you post: anything you share online can last a long time, even after you delete it. Don’t post anything you may regret later. The second tip is to check your privacy settings: your content may be visible to more people than you realize. Check out our Privacy Page for information on how to control access to your content. The third tip is to make a good impression: social media isn’t just used by family and friends. Many employers are starting to screen job applicants. The fourth and final tip is to consider your health: use of social can have an impact on your mental, emotional, and physical health. You can learn more on our Health and Wellness page.

Learn more about using social media professionally and ethically (The Learning Portal, n.d.).

Activity

Take this short quiz to decide what you would post on social media.

With the widespread use of social media for personal and professional purposes, it is important to be aware of your online reputation and personal brand. Protecting your personal brand is essential because it can affect your reputation and, ultimately, your career prospects. A strong personal brand can demonstrate your expertise, professionalism, and commitment to your field. On the other hand, a negative or inconsistent personal brand can be a red flag for potential employers. 

Your online reputation and personal brand can affect your career prospects and personal relationships. Remember from Module 2 that employers, colleagues, friends, and family members can engage in OSINT (open source intelligence) to access any open source information about you, including things you post on social media. By taking proactive steps to monitor and build your online presence, you can ensure that your reputation and personal brand reflect your best self.

Here are a few tips for managing your online reputation and personal brand:

• Monitor what's being said about you online by setting up Google Alerts for your name, regularly checking social media, and using online reputation management tools.
• Be proactive about building a positive online presence by creating high-quality content, participating in online communities, and positively engaging with others.
• Be aware of how your online reputation can impact your personal and professional life. 

If you discover that your reputation has been damaged online, you can take several steps to repair it:

1. Assess the extent of the damage and identify the source of the negative content.
2. Take action to address the issue. This may involve reaching out to the website or platform where the negative content is posted and requesting that it be removed.
3. Work with a reputation management company if needed to help restore your online image.
4. Be proactive about building a positive online presence by creating high-quality content and engaging with your audience.

Visit the following websites for more helpful information about online reputation management.

7 Steps to Online Reputation Management (Plus Importance) (Indeed, 2023)

Defamation (The Learning Portal, n.d.)

Thinking about what to share on social media…

• Do you currently have or plan to have social media accounts?
• How will you ensure what you post on social media won’t damage your online reputation or personal brand?
• How will you protect others’ personal and professional reputations on social media?

Navigating social media can often be overwhelming and stressful. A personal support system is a group of people that can provide emotional and practical support for navigating social media and other challenges you face as a post-secondary learner, professional, and individual. Fostering a personal support system can help you feel less isolated and more empowered to navigate challenges as they arise.

Your personal support system might include your professors or instructors, classmates, mentors, employers, colleagues, counsellors, friends, or family. You might interact with your support system in-person or online. Regardless of who is part of your support system and how you interact with them, it is important to cultivate your personal support system to ensure your wellbeing as a post-secondary learner and a professional (Centre for Public Safety and Well-Being, 2023).

Wellbeing is an overall state of happiness, health, and the sense that your life is going well. It encompasses many different aspects of your life such as your physical health, relationships, career, and environment. All of these aspects of your life are connected and affect how happy you are. It is crucial to understand that wellness is not merely the absence of illness or distress. Wellness is a lifelong process of making decisions to live a more balanced and meaningful life. A good way to enhance your wellness is by evaluating your current state and establishing systems to guide you towards a fuller sense of wellbeing.

As a post-secondary learner, your wellbeing contributes to your ability to learn in all disciplines. This learning, in turn, contributes to overall well-being. Providing students with the skills to research and analyze knowledge is key to making healthy choices and informed decisions. As a result, students recognize and change their own behaviours as they become critical consumers of health information (Greene & Mackie, 2022).

Learn more about resources to support your emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, career, physical, social, and spiritual wellness (The Learning Portal, n.d.).

Try It!

Complete the Well-being Assessment to determine the areas of wellness where you are thriving and the ones that may need greater attention.

Thinking about your personal support system…

• What types of supports do you anticipate needing as a post-secondary learner?
• Who is currently part of your personal support system?
• Who might you need to add to your personal support system?

Personal Learning Networks

As a post-secondary learner and as a professional, you will develop personal learning networks (P.L.Ns) with peers, mentors, colleagues, and online communities to support your growth, development, and understanding in an area of interest.

P.L.Ns can be organized around personal or professional interests and are uniquely yours. You have ownership and autonomy over who’s in your network and how you choose to engage with them. You might communicate with your P.L.N. in person or, due to advances in digital technology, via virtual networks or social media (e.g., Facebook or LinkedIn).

P.L.N. connections are built and strengthened through shared interests, conversations, and other interactions, like posting links to useful articles or offering insights from one’s own experiences. Of course, the notion that we learn with and from others is hardly new. However, digital technology has transformed how we engage with P.L.Ns – expanding the people or organizations we can engage with and the types of P.L.N. activities we can engage in.

Take a moment to think about your personal or professional interests. Are you currently a member of a P.L.N. (in person or virtual)? Are there any P.L.Ns you would like to join to support your growth, development, and understanding in a particular area?

Read more about P.L.Ns in this chapter from “Liberated Learners” (Greene & Mackie, 2022)!