Some people don’t put much thought into things they post, say, or search on social media. But the truth is no matter how many times you delete it they’ll always follow you. Digital foot print is a fairly new concept, but important to watch because it might affect things you do later on in life.
According to Career Builder Employer, up to 70% of employers do social media checks on their candidates, and approximately 54% of employers find something on social media that causes them not to hire a candidate. Social media background checks do not only apply for jobs, but also for scholarships to schools.
Reasons for an employer to look at your digital footprint can vary, from lying about qualifications, inappropriate posts, linked to criminal behaviors or even if you just have poor communication skills. Collegiate coaches on the other hand use social media to check things such as your character and if you’re a good fit.
“Athletics may vary by specific programs if they are bringing somebody on for a team, or if they’re bringing somebody into a small group of people, they want to make sure that person is a good fit,” said Lisa Rodino, who is Arlington High School’s School to Work Coordinator.
For an everyday person this might not sound like much, but we should learn to watch what we post, comment and share to protect our futures.
“I think some people don’t realize how important it actually is to watch what you post, and I think that they don’t realize that once you post it, anyone can find it, anyone can get it, and it doesn’t actually just leave, it can be there forever,” Kenna Langford (28’) said.
Employment or college is something all people look for after they graduate, whatever path you may take the past you left online will follow, but some employers can be lenient on what they see.
¨I would like to believe that a lot of people would give second chances to kids who maybe posted something when they’re 14, 15, 16, I don’t think that one negative post or a tough digital footprint as far as that stuff should affect somebody’s whole trajectory of their life,¨’said varsity basketball coach and former Arlington High School student Drew Bryson.