Page 8 - First Year Associates

S8 | Tuesday, OcTOber 13, 2015 | First-Year Associates Handbook | nylj.com
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Social Media: Pitfalls to Avoid and Paths to Success
By Michael Bond
If you look around any public space— the subway, a restaurant or even a busy street—you will, no doubt, see an army of people plugged in to their phones, with many endlessly scrolling through social media content on sites like instagram, Facebook and Twitter. sporting events and scripted tele- vision programs now routinely advertise specific hashtags so users can “join the con- versation.” and, modern wedding planning now includes an extra step—determining a clever hashtag so user-uploaded photos can be organized.
Beyond decamping to a remote spot in the adirondacks, social media has become too pervasive and addictive to avoid. (if a friend isn’t on Facebook, they are probably on ins- tagram.) These channels are powerful tools for sharing media, engaging in conversations and consuming news. They also carry very real risks for associates and professionals of all stripes.
Back to School
When the calendar turns to fall, colleges and universities go back in session and non- school-related extracurricular activities begin to again be documented in colorful social media posts across the land.
at the same time, many newly minted law firm associates are starting their long journey to partner, the molting from shorts and flip-flops to suits and briefcases finally complete—confident in their belief that their rambunctious undergraduate and (at times) law school days are firmly in the rear view mirror. The only problem is that last supposition is flawed. non-profession- al behaviors—even from years ago—can often be easily detected, with present-day consequences.
Where to Start
One of the first things you, as a new associ- ate, should do is comb-through your social media timelines, running posts you are fea- tured in through the filter, “am i comfortable with a senior partner or a client seeing this content?” err on the conservative side and de-tag and delete liberally.
don’t assume that a site’s privacy controls
MIChAEL BONd is an account supervisor for Blattel Communications in New York. He can be reached at [email protected].
will provide effective shielding. Other user’s photos may feature you, and third-party sites can sometimes harvest and re-post content that is supposed to be walled-off. Further, your Twitter avatar of a “tall boy” of Pabst Blue ribbon is still visible even with a private account.
Prune and Then Prune Again
if you have taken the time to strip away the blatantly inappropriate posts—the alcohol-fueled heroics of days gone by— you may think you are done. nope. now it is time to trim a bit more. remember,
you are searching for more than just the obvi- ous offenders.
Sports
social media and sports are a beautiful combination. you can check Twitter for real-time, in-game updates and additional reporting. Of course, you can also check in on what the peanut gallery is saying. There is a temptation, say when an eagles fan is really mouthing off about the giants, to return fire. if you haven’t been able to avoid scratching that itch, it’s time to start. and, if you have posts such as, “The eagles suck!!!! Manning rules!!!,” it’s time to take those down. it’s fine to follow team accounts and use these sites
as conduits for information—just don’t bring the stadium brawl into your feed, or your professional life. Leave it in Jersey.
Politics
nearly as proliferate as sports are political posts. you neither want to be the offender or the offended—meaning choose what you say and who you are “friends” with carefully. if a family member or friend is offending you, just “unfollow” them. They won’t appear in your Facebook feed, but they will remain your “friend.”
as an associate, you occupy some of the lower rungs in the organization, and it’s best not to make unintended waves. if you are
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