There are many benefits of having a large network of friends, past contacts and former coworkers, and today’s technology has made this easily manageable. Even though many of us typically may avoid mixing work contacts with friends, once we’re are on our way out of a job, we may suddenly feel somehow willing to connect with those soon-to-be former coworkers.
And for many, this means that they somehow stay connected to that career phase of their life even though they practically have turned a page. There are pluses and minuses to this situation: They don’t lose connections with people they once worked with, but they may be carried away to keep in touch with many who were not really friends with or who even were among that group that they are somehow happy to leave behind.
There are different approaches to how we handle our social media connections and who we select to include. But generally speaking, there are many disadvantages to indiscriminately adding social media contacts with former employers and coworkers. Keep these in minds:
Your professional image
The end of your job with one employer shouldn’t mean the end of your professional relationship with this employer or business contacts. In fact, this is a time when you may be returning to the job market and it’s critical that you keep up your professional image. If you’re quick to be friends with former coworkers and supervisors, you may be compromising an opportunity to leave a last positive impression. This is, of course, relative to how you handle your social networking presence. Are you a party animal? Do you often express your unwillingness to work or unhappiness with the type of work you do or have done? Remember, whatever you say and do become part of your new image and can somehow be taken against you.
It’s often hard to mix business with friendship. Many of us use social networking websites mostly for sharing – and venting. Are you having a bad day or finding it hard to get over some office politics, venting online can hurt you if you’ve accumulated business contacts on your page or site. Although many are skilled enough in creating groups where they try to keep their professional connections separate from their family and actual friends, having these groups in one place puts you consistently in a situation where you have to walk a thin line.
Finding a job
One of the best advantages when you keep in touch with your previous contacts is that you may be able to get a word on job openings before they even go on the market. But with many venues available today, people are getting more and more specific about what to post where. In fact, if your sole purpose of keeping in touch is to get professional updates and potential jobs, it may makes more sense that you have an account on a business-oriented site like LinkedIn. This will get you the benefits you’re looking for in terms of keeping the professional connection alive without the risks of giving away too much about your personal life.
Your ups and downs
Many of us go through rough career patches. If you’re unemployed or stuck in a dead-end job, it may be disheartening to hear the success stories of former coworkers. Although keeping in touch on a personal level can be rewarding, the downtime in your career can be particularly tougher if you’re in a constant comparison with others. In this case, you’ve got two choices: realising it is just a phase and you’ll eventually snap out of it, or taking a break from your professional connections and find joy in your personal life. Either way, it is important to seek your professional success based on what brings you fulfilment rather than what others are doing. In many cases, you may not even have enough information to judge others’ professional status. Creating a successful image online is a skill that you can develop yourself – just like others do.
Similarly, if you get in this competition, you may tend to demonstrate that you’re extremely satisfied with your job that many may not approach you when an opportunity opens. With that in mind, make sure that if you do post about your job, coworkers, ambition, or similar professional aspirations, keep in mind those who are at the receiving ends. Alternatively, make sure that you don’t bring business and work contacts into your very personal circle.
Rania Oteify, a former Gulf News Business Features Editor, is a Seattle-based editor.
