We all know that there’s a normal human being inside of that Mickey Mouse costume at Disney Land. Yet no Mickey wouldn’t be caught smoking where any Joe public could see him or he’d be canned. Online you can hide behind your devices and get social while driving or sitting naked at home. The computer or phone is your Mickey costume, but what happens when the camera is on or somebody is witness to your real personality.
Did you post a home video that might be damaging or did your friend? Will all of your messaging resonate with your audience in the way that you want it to? Ask Perez Hilton about slip ups, I’m sure he’s got the dirt on every Mickey out there. And when you slip up somebody will surely let it out. Just like a laxative, you may not know when it’s going to kick in, but you know that it will and be prepared.
There are two ways to prepare:
1. Toil on the toilet for hours so that you are in position. Cover your behind with both hands and brace yourself. (the financial institutions may choose this one)
2. Go about your daily business while always being within close proximity to the potty. Be yourself, but also be aware of the consequences. As my 6th grade teacher made us memorize the first day of school “For every action there is a consequence and when you choose the action you choose the consequence.”
What are you sitting on that could be flushed out? Do you care? When you Tweet, blog, or Facebook your life is on display and just because your met a recruiter or a new hire on Linkedin, it does not mean that they won’t look elsewhere for you. It will come out. Nothing is off the record. I repeat and so should you, very often, nothing is off the record. Again, nothing is off the record.
Just ask my husband about those photos.