Another question. How does the airline respond typically to people’s social media? For example I have a big YouTube following with over 250k subscribers. And my Instagram has just about the same. I don’t post anything with profanity, no harassment, and I stay away from political conversations on my channel. I try to stay neutral. But I am younger and am apart of the generation that likes to post trips, dancing, sometimes parties, and maybe my significant other.
I just want to know how that may affect someone’s job. Like I said I’m younger so for my generation it’s pretty normal. This is probably not even a question for the airline but more for a career in general. The regionals would be my first “career job”. I’m only 21.I could use some advice.
Many people both young and old participate and are avid fans of social media. We could spend weeks discussing the pros and cons. Regardless the airlines are incredibly image “sensitive” and are well aware of social media’s impact. If a pilot is unfortunate enough to suffer a crash and their posts are all of them partying hard, drink in hand, it doesn’t play well. You reference your youth a couple of times and the fact that the use of social media is “pretty normal”. If that’s true then I’m certain you also know that things can be taken out of context or wrong and more important whatever you put out there stays there forever. What I’m saying is I would be VERY careful when it comes to your use. Many airlines have strict rules regarding posts, comments, video and pics. People have been fired over things they felt were innocuous. It’s also important to know when you go to get hired your accounts will be checked. While no one can tell you what to do the airlines can most certainly decide who they want working for them or not.
Bottomline if you want to be the next Kim Kardashian then go crazy but if you aspire to be a successful airline pilot your “following” shouldn’t be your #1 priority.
After posting this my mother and I had a big discussion. Her response was very similar to you. She explained to me that I will be representing not just myself but the company. She told me it’s similar to when she would constantly tell me to watch my behavior because I am a reflection of her and her parenting. It makes complete sense. My social media is more of a traveling one. She told me if I wish to continue posting I should keep it a minimum, and try to only post cool pictures of me in front of country monuments lol.
Thanks for responding. There’s a lot of questions about the process and education and career of pilots on this forum, I just wanted to get an idea of the lifestyle, since it is your job but the pilot themselves are still people and have lives (If that makes sense).
Yes pilots are people and yes they have lives. I’ll also let you in on a little secret, people have had lives for thousands of years, long before there was social media. No one is telling you who to be or even what you can and cannot do. What you do you need to understand is that the things you do and the choices you make (as your mother said) reflects upon you and you will be judged often based on that reflection. Not sure if you’re a follower of Mark Zuckerberg but I think he’s a great example. He’s arguably the King of Social Media. He posted pics of himself, his wife, sites they see traveling and his good deeds. That’s it, quick, clean simple and nothing for anyone to get twisted about. I promise you he’s got a lot more going on in his life than either of us. Difference is he knows he doesn’t need to share it all.
Again not telling you what to do or what to post, simply to be aware that not all of those 250k followers you have are your friends.
I would say just keep in mind when posting that anything you post should be something that you are 100% careful with your boss seeing. If you stick to those guidelines, you should be fine. That being said, each company (not just airlines) has its own social media guidelines and you might very well end up at a place that restricts your ability to have a social media presence. We had a pilot at Continental that took it way too far and end up getting himself in a tricky situation with the company as he was embarrassing them. Now, we have a social media policy in place.
By thew way, how the heck did you get 250k subscribers?
I’m curious as well 