5 Reason Why You Should NOT Post About Politics on Social Media

Let's face it. Over the past two years, we've seen an explosion of political posts or articles across all major social media. This may sound a bit ironic since this is an article about politics. Trust me, this one is different. The goal of this piece is to provide tangible evidence about why posting about your political views may come back and bite you. Or even worse, cost you a job opportunity.

Here are 5 reasons why you should put your pride aside and keep your political opinions for family dinners. Just kidding. Avoid that at all costs as well.

1. You will instantly have about 50% of people disagree with you.

Every four years, presidential elections take place. About everyone knows that. What less people know is that elections are closer than you think. The split between Democrats and Republicans usually ranges between 55% vs. 45% and 51% vs. 49%. So basically, whatever side of the aisle you are on, you will cut out 50% of your future employers on average. Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with getting political. But keep it professional, people will respect your views and they (hopefully) won't hold it against you.

2. Freedom of speech is real, getting fired is as well.

Just after the Democratic National Convention,  TV reporter Bobby Hughes was fired from the Fox affiliate in St. Louis, Mo., after joking on Facebook that Michael Brown's mother was at the convention to "talk about the new lead diet she's endorsed. Five servings and you can lose 200 lbs in two years easily (shrm.org)." Brown was the teenager shot and killed In Ferguson, Mo., in 2014. This is not only one of the most outrageous, offending, and racist someone could say. It is also a one-way ticket to perpetual unemployment.

While most people who turn to Facebook for their political rants don't go this far, some still secure a trip to their boss' office and hear something like: "Johnny, we are going to have to let you go."

Not too long ago a semi-famous TV celebrity posted a picture of a mask resembling President Trump's head. Nothing wrong so far right? Well, the head was actually cut off and bloody. Don't like Trump? That's fine. Want to post a picture of his chopped off head? Not so much. Kathy Griffin was a CNN co-host, CNN definitely does not like Trump. Nonetheless, Griffin was fired the next day and is still unemployed. And let's hope it stays that way.

3. You never know who will be reading your job application.

Here is some news for you. Recruiters don't care about how many Vodka Cranberries you had in Ibiza this summer. Actually, my bad, they do care! It makes for a great excuse to toss your resume in the "rejected pile" right off the bat. You're actually saving them time. Companies do not look for people who put their whole life online. They are a liability for them. A recruiter will often have to make a choice between two or more prospects with equally good resumes. When it comes down to details, your Facebook political rants aren't going to help.

4. You're probably an 'At Will' employee... It means your boss can fire you if you piss him off.

Fact is most U.S. workers, aside from those in government jobs, have at-will employment relationships with their employers. This means that, technically, they can be let go for any reason and without warning. The employer does not have to establish "just cause" for the firing. Federal and state laws do prohibit employers from terminating workers for reasons having to do with race, religion and gender, but there is no prohibition for political speech (Outten & Golden LLP).

Why run the risk of getting fired over a post? Even if the chances of you losing your job are small, do not even risk it. You have no idea how some people make it all about politics. This is not meant to discourage you from voicing your opinions. My main goal in what I do professionally and academically is to get more people to speak out. But you need to do it the right way. People, Republicans and Democrats alike, respect someone who can articulate their point of view and does it through the proper mediums. No... Twitter doesn't count.

5. When talking politics, there are better ways to prove your point than a post.

Sometimes, you'll post something you think is innocent or innocuous. Well, someone will misrepresent it and use it against you. Is it fair? No. Does it happen all the time? Yes. You are now asking yourself, what is the solution for this? You probably still feel the urge to voice your point of view. But you don't want to use Facebook anymore. Here is a solution for you.

Instead of spending 15 minutes to write a half a dozen posts. Take a half hour to write a brief article about what you believe. Here are some benefits you will get out of your extra 15 minutes of writing:

• You will now appear as a self-publishing author. And not a "Facebook Complainer."
• You will actually have to think of reasons why someone should agree with you.
• Employers or recruiters will see that you are opinionated but professional about it.

At this point some of you might be thinking about publishing a brief article about something. I bet you are now also asking yourself: "But where do I publish?"

Media is changing. Journalism is changing. You don't have to be a New York Times writer to publish an article anymore. As a matter of fact, you could publish right now, instantly. Here are my THREE favorite self-publishing platforms:

• New Politics Now (NewPolNow.com) - I am obviously bias... I created this one!
• LinkedIn Publishing Tool (In-Publishing) - I am bias again... I'm using it right now!
• Medium (Medium.com) - Not really bias about this one... But it's popular so they must be doing something right.

Moral of the story: STOP using Facebook as your personal diary. The 60s are over (unfortunately) and everybody has access to everything you post. But I am more about proving solutions than pointing out problems. My solution is simple. Dedicate a little more time but publish something meaningful. Something that will make others think. Something that people will respect.

#StudentVoices