Bio hazard: The danger of using “former” in your social media profile

I always cringe a little when I see somebody lead off their social media profile or personal bio with the word “former.”

Maybe the person is the former leader of a company, or a former star athlete, or a former national champion at something. These are all worthy accomplishments. But what does it say about what you’re doing NOW?

Are you sure your “former” designation is helping you … or could it be hurting you?

Does “former” matter?

My “former” in the dustbin

It’s easy to see the highlights of my “former life.” Just check out my website or social media profile on my LinkedIn page. But I’m not sure those details matter any more.

An anecdote:

Last year I was asked by Phil Mershon of Social Media Examiner if I would keynote the gigantic Social Media Marketing World annual conference. Over the course of our discussion, we wandered into a long talk about our careers. I’ve worked closely with Phil for eight years and consider him a friend. And yet he had no idea that I …

• had worked for a Fortune 100 company
• was a former global director of eBusiness
• earned seven patents