This is a social media site and so lets talk a little about speaking with people. On-line, in-person, at work, or socially are all different social situations and yet your interactions are under scrutiny. Did you know that people review what you do and say?
Facebook, instagram, snap chat, and all the others are great social sites, right? You get to keep in touch with everyone in one comment. You get to post your amazing Friday night digs and afternoon off comments. I know I'm not the first one to say these things but this is not just you and your friends. Your words are out there on the web. Your picture is available to anyone. You partying it up and saying that you did what ever you did can be taken the wrong way. I live my life as an open book for the most part. I show pictures of my family and say my general day on-line a lot! But, why is that ok or not. People get to know me and they are not seeing parties, crazy life pictures, they are not seeing the worst or best things. They see my average life. I take a vacation to see family and enjoy a few days but they know I'm back to work on time and happy. They know I'm working on my health. They know I'm not sick all the time. I'm not posting all the details of my contracts or the people I work with.
I am sure groups, employers, and your fellow CRNAs are looking me up before I arrive. Not because they want to get to know me but because they want to know what type of person is coming to work with them for 3 to 6 months. They want to know if I'll be happy most of the time. They want to know if I'm going to call in sick. They want to know if I'll complain about every little thing. They want to know if I will work well with others at work.
So, why is this important? I've heard this before! OK, well it's pretty clear that people are not secure in any environment where there is more than one person. If you choose social media as place to be, AWESOME. Just remember the more places you go and the more you speak or post or whatever. Realize that an employer 5,10,15 years from now can find that post and either ask about it or just cancel you. Many people say that it doesn't matter and are happy and content where they are. Yup, you may be for 1 year, or even 4 years ... but then life happens and a change could come. You never expected to move to mid-size town America and now you are applying to jobs or saying now I will be doing contracts for a little more flexibility. You start sending things out and wonder... why is this difficult. It's obvious there are needs. You start to question what happened and when you go to an interview the Chief CRNA says "I took a flyer on you but your pictures looked like you go out more than you do anything else". Then you say I haven't updated in over a year or two because life had changed and you became more private. They don't know this... they only see what is available.
Social Media and work. Don't be that person. The one that talks about your colleagues. The one that takes offense to some comment and causes trouble. Don't be the one sharing things that can be taken inappropriately. If you wouldn't go to your family, parents, kids with it... well... think.
If you get time, Google yourself, your business, and things around you. See what others see about you and the things you can improve for visual perception so you stand out in a good way. I hope you totally see the implications of interaction on-line. I hope it's an amazing weekend. Comments or questions LocumCRNAs@gmail.com