Millennials realize social media mistakes could damage their career

That half-naked butt-selfies millennials sometimes take on top of their washing machine in the bathroom are coming back to haunt them, as they start looking for their first (or new) job, a new survey says.

The survey by cyber-security firm Norton and recruitment firm Reed says UK millennials (18 - 34 year-olds) are now concerned how their social media activity might interfere, and damage, their professional careers.

Sixteen percent are worried they might have work-related issues thanks to their social media activity, and almost every other hiring manager (48 percent) said they’d found something online that had stopped them from offering an applicant the position.

But that’s not all. More than a quarter (28 percent) of millennials don’t know what comes up when their name is searched online (seriously, don’t you guys Google yourselves? [author’s remarks]).

A fifth (22 percent) were shocked about content that was online without their permission, and 15 percent were actually surprised finding embarrassing content they created on social media.

Moreover, 23 percent found embarrassing photos and videos and were embarrassed, and a fifth (19 percent) were offered a job online, only to find out it was a scam.

"Your online reputation is an increasingly important part of modern life. As we live more of our daily lives online, more personal information is available for public consumption, including scammers who can use it against you at any time", said Nick Shaw, general manager of Norton EMEA. "Knowing how to manage your online footprint is key to staying safe. Ensuring content can only be viewed by the people you want to is the first step to taking control of your online reputation".

The survey includes 1,000 mobile users across the UK, aged 18 - 34.

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