DECA Public Relations Chapter Event: TMI - Secure Your Future
“Your first impression isn’t made with a firm handshake-it’s with a Google search,” says Dan Shawbel, the author of Me 2.0. Social networking has become popular among teens and adults around the world. Although social networking has many benefits, there are many downsides that remain unknown. In the TMI campaign we will spread awareness by informing the community about how misusing social networking can be detrimental to an individual’s future. Out of the 584 million active Facebook users, only 10% change their personal information to protect their identity. (www.prnewswire.com) This rising issue is the result of several college and job rejections. Many social networking users are unaware of how significant preserving your reputation is. Statistics show:
- 40% of colleges use social networking sites such as Facebook in the acceptance process.
- 80% of recruiting professionals incorporate online reputation research into their hiring process.
- 70% of United States business managers say they decide not to hire a job candidate based upon something they found out about him/her online.
It is evident that social networking impacts decisions made by college admission officers and business managers. What you post online gives them insight into how you will fit into their environment. One main component that managers look at when hiring an employee is if his/her Facebook profile matches the information on his/her resume. If the information does not match, the odds of getting the job are slight. Another main asset they look at includes inappropriate pictures or content. Provocative photos are one of the largest factors contributing to a decision not to hire a potential employee. Several employers identify references to drinking and drug use as detrimental to a business or college’s reputation. Other aspects include bad-mouthing of employers and colleagues and poor online communication skills.
The first step we took in grasping the attention of the community was creating and developing a project name and campaign. The name of our public relations movement is TMI. TMI is a common acronym that stands for too much information. To further extend our message, we came up with the slogan “secure your future.” We put the slogan on a lock to convey that teens should “lock” or “secure” their future or reputation by what they post online. Our goal is to inform, influence, and protect the future of many.
To raise the community’s awareness of this issue we put together several promotional activities. For instance, we created a bulletin board in the guidance wing of Montville Township High School and had students sign it to “secure their future.” When a student signed the board, we gave them a sticker with our logo on it. In addition to the bulletin board, we created a Facebook and Twitter Page. We hope our campaign impacts several students and adults in Montville Township.
To Support the TMI Campaign:
Like our Page on Facebook: TMI-Secure Your Future
Follow us on Twitter: @TMI_SYF
Written By: Francesca Prudente and Rachel Geffner
