How To Balance Personal and Professional Life on Social Media
David Kauzlaric and Alexandre de Damas recommend setting up two distinct social media profiles: one for personal use and another for professional purposes
Like so many other things in life, social media can call for a delicate balance. This is because, in today's day and age, people use social media for personal and professional requirements at the same time. You have two different purposes and audiences on social media, and so David Kauzlaric and Alexandre de Damas recommend keeping your accounts separate.
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Have two separate accounts
As it is very easy to have multiple user accounts as long as it does not violate the terms of use. David Kauzlaric and Alexandre de Damas recommend setting up two distinct social media profiles: one for personal use and another for professional purposes. "You may use your real name for the business-related accounts and a nickname for the personal accounts," observes David. "This also permits more control over who can and cannot view your profiles." Alexandre adds, "After all, a lot of us can have rather different personalities in and out of the workplace; therefore, we should also have different online personas."
Be transparent
It is not at all sneaky to maintain different social media profiles. After all, some people are very private, and although they may have no issue with being more visible in a professional setting, they choose to keep their personal profiles limited to a smaller audience. "If you want to share one profile among colleagues but not the personal one, you have every right to do this," says Alexandre. "Some people elect to share both profiles with friends and family to give them a glimpse into their work lives, but do ask people not to post anything inappropriate on your business accounts," adds David.
Be authentic
David says, "Never hesitate to let your personality shine on your personal and professional pages. Show your strengths, interests, and even your quirks, as this makes you more relatable." Alexandre agrees and adds, "This would also give potential employers an idea about whether or not you would be a good fit as an employee."
Finally, as per David Kauzlaric and Alexandre de Damas, you should never post anything on any of your social media profiles that you would not want the whole world to see. Even if you keep some accounts private, there is no guarantee other people will. Remember, if it's online, it lives forever.
