Social media slipups: If you're looking for a Hollywood job, don't air your grievances to the town square!

July is social media month! During this four-week series, we're covering common social media mistakes that could cost you the job. This week's topic covers the risks of posting in public forums.
 
It’s really tempting to commiserate about the less glamorous side of assistant work with your peers online or to crowd-source for advice. But keep in mind that your social media exchanges aren’t as private as you think they are. Often, assistants are the ones vetting resumes before their boss sees them, and those same assistants most likely have mutual Facebook friends with you or are part of the same “closed” Facebook groups and tracking boards. So when they do a quick search to vet you before passing your stellar resume along and see something like, “Today, my boss asked me to track down crackers that are hand-baked by children in Kuwait, what a psycho, I hate my job,” they’re not going to be too keen on bringing you in for an interview, even if the cracker thing is pretty insane. It’s not classy to bash your boss in public, and it shows you lack basic discretion, which is one of the most important qualities an assistant can have. Tell your mom or your best friend about your gripes with your boss. In person. Remember the Sony email scandal? Don’t let that be you.

---

-- Angela Silak & Cindy Kaplan