Hey Edsters,
How many of those “Six Job Errors You Need to Immediately Stop Making” or “How to Lose Your Job in Ten Days” articles have you read? How many of them have included looking at social media as a huge no-no?
Put away the iPhone and log off of Facebook, the columnists say self-righteously. There’s no easier way to show your employer you’re not taking your job or internship seriously.
However, I’m having some problems with this commandment. The company I’m interning for has a huge social media presence, and like I mentioned in my first post, their Instagram shots and Tweets are seriously envy-evoking. Not to mention they have more Pinterest and Facebook followers than a small country.
The company’s online strategy has led me to “go off the trail,” so to speak, and ignore the job experts. Since as an intern, I’m trying to contribute value to the company, I think adding to its media presence shows my supervisors my dedication and understanding of the brand.
Here’s how you should use social media (or not) to your advantage while at work.
1. Look at what the higher-ups are doing
Does your boss post House Beautiful-worthy shots of his or her enviably well-organized desk? Do company employees document their daily interactions with the baubles in the fashion closet? Are there more pictures of your magazine’s editors on your Instagram than your in-real-life friends? All of these are great clues that your company’s culture promotes social media use.
2. Be strategic
Even if you’ve given yourself the green light to use social media, that doesn’t mean you should start taking endless selfies at your desk. I’d suggest only uploading posts if you’re completely on top of your work—otherwise, your supervisor will probably be annoyed to see your Tweets when she or he knows you have a billion assignments to finish by EOD today. If you’re feeling swamped but you have a timely and awesome post to share, wait till your lunch time to do it.
3. Make sure you’re posting the right stuff
If anything you want to upload seems like it might be even slightly off-limits, ask. your. supervisor. For example, the name of the celebrity on October’s cover? If it hasn’t been released yet, you don’t want to be the one to accidentally alert the media. Interns have been fired and reputations have been ruined over much, much less. And obviously, maintain a positive attitude. Social media should never be used for complaining about who you work with or what tasks you have to slog through, even if your complaints are warranted. Save them for your mom.
So far, I’ve gotten nothing but positive feedback on sample posts like my adorable work area with the caption, “Livin’ the productive life at @____ headquarters!” and “I’m meeting *cool person here* today for *magazine name here*…. Can’t say this internship thing is too bad.”
What do you think, Edsters? Is Pinterest only unacceptable if you’re planning your wedding, not re-pinning your magazine’s cute quotes?
-Web Intern
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