Could your politics be sabotaging your job search?
photo by Dominic's pics
No matter what your political thoughts, if you are in a job search and loudly voicing your opinion, you may be setting yourself up to lose.
Most of the United States knows that Wisconsin has been embroiled in a long fight over budget issues between the current Governor, Scott Walker, and the unions. No matter which side you pick, you will probably be offending someone. Many people are quiet on this issue but silently seething.
Politics and job search don’t mix — unless you are a politician!
No matter what field you are in, political views voiced loudly and often insultingly on social media or out in the public are not going to win friends and influence people. Let’s take for example, the current cuts in insurance and pensions in hot debate. Even if you are a teacher, administration is not necessarily in agreement with union thoughts nor is the public that ultimately pays the salary. A better strategy is to remain silent unless your job goal is that of a union organizer or other political marketing role.
Just as posting party pictures on Facebook can defeat your job search or cost you an interview, so can explosive comments on Facebook about how you feel about this political issue or that issue. Most of the time, you will not know what the audience is thinking.
What is the interviewer thinking?
Most of the time, you don’t know! Think of the small business who does provide health insurance for their employees. As the owner struggles to find the money to pay the premium each month and knows he has to have his employees contribute at least 50%, he can’t find joy in arguments about insurance for others. It comes out of his tax dollar.
There is another perspective for every argument. Conversely, if you are negotiating for a union position, ranting about your views against the Madison protests is probably not going to win you a position on the union workforce.
As hard as it is to remain quiet about what troubles you, you need to think before you post, talk, or argue!
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