It is that time of the year.

The weather is changing.

The birds are singing.

The semester is past mid-term exams.

And, young people are flocking to warm sandy beaches or white powdered ski resorts and doing things that would make their mother blush or a potential employer laugh [and say no].

In these digital days of smart phones with cameras, tag happy friends on Facebook and Instagram, Snapchat’s evaporation of fearless photos, and young ambitions to go viral, smart people are doing dumb things, especially for social networking.

If a student, over the next few weeks you should be on high alert for as the time is prime when you can easily damage your personal brand in the name of fun, freedom, and a much-needed spring break from studying.

While I have previously written about proper personal branding behaviors on social media, below are some visual reminders to mind your personal brand while enjoying your holiday.

Spring Break Personal Branding Reminders.

#DigitalSMA Mailbox.

Dear #DigitalSMA,

You must be a big boring fuddy-duddy.  I study hard during the semester and deserve a spring break away from all those boring classes and expensive textbooks.

Sincerely,
College Student reading your blog

————

Dear College Student reading my blog,

On the contrary, go and have fun!

When I was a college student I had many a spring breaks that I can no longer remember. Luckily, we didn’t have social media and smart phones with cameras to record our memories for others and potential employers to see.

Thanks for reading my blog,
#DigitalSMA

Dear #DigitalSMA,

OMG! Are you saying we should cancel our daughter’s all-inclusive week in Cancun and invite her to come home?

Sincerely,
Parents of Student reading your blog

———–

Dear Parents of Student reading my blog,

Not necessarily.  If you have no reason to worry about your daughter during the semester, then you need not worry about her during her spring break.

Try this: do a Google search of your daughter’s name in quotations.  If you cannot find any breaking bad behavior, then she likely has nothing to hide or she knows how to hide it.  Either is okay for personal branding.

Thanks for reading my blog,
#DigitalSMA

The Take-Away.

Spring break is a wonderful time to make new friends and memories that will last for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, with today’s prevalent use of social media, those memories may show up when least expected [perhaps in a Google or Facebook search by a potential employer].

Accordingly, before you take your personal brand on a holiday: (1) lock-down the privacy on your Facebook, (2) give Twitter a vacation, and (3) blog about your Spring Break memories when you return home.

Don’t be that guy [or gal] that shows others the wrong side of your personal brand.

Image credits: photos by Denny McCorkle.

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Denny McCorkle @DennyMcCorkle

Professor of Marketing, Monfort College of Business at University of Northern Colorado

As a nationally recognized and award winning Marketing Professor in the Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado, I help students, professors, and professionals to gain a Digital Self Marketing Advantage through the use of social media marketing for personal branding, job search, skills development, career advancement, and life-long learning.

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