TechFeed: Make a good impression with social networking
We've all heard stories about the
teacher who was fired for
Facebook pictures of her holding a
drink, or the woman fired for
insulting her boss through a status
update. That stuff doesn't happen
in real life ... right?
I'm in the act of post-graduation job hunting, and every ad I've applied to thus far has asked for a Twitter username, Facebook account or personal URL. Employers have ceased being sneaky about it; they're blatantly advertising that they're going to snoop your profiles before they even think about giving you an interview.
With Facebook's popularity, it's the perfect tool for nosey employers, and they don't need your URL to find you. Type in the email address on your resume and there you are; an open door to your "private" social life. Whether this might happen or has already happened, take control of your Facebook and make sure it's not the roadblock between you and your dream job.
After receiving complaints of such snooping by unwanted persons, Facebook put controls in place that let you decide who can see your profile. Use them. Restricting access to friends-only will ensure only those you approve have access to your information. But who are your friends? We've all been faced with the dilemma: a person who lives nearby and shares a few friends sends you a friend request. You share mutual friends — does that mean you know them and you've forgotten? You might click accept on the off chance you just can't put a name to a face — you've just added your potential new employer to your friends and given them full access.
A simple privacy control no longer cuts it; you've got to ditch the incriminating info. Take some time to purge your account. Check out your friends list and ditch those you don't personally know. Check out your groups, interests, bio, and pictures, and remove anything that causes the slightest of embarrassment or guilt. This means you should probably un-tag yourself from those pictures of last Halloween ... and that costume. Remember now? Not exactly something you want your new boss to see. Some job consultants recommend having a dummy profile containing only the tamest of information and pictures to divert employers from your personal life — not a bad idea if you feel you need such extreme measures.
Once you've gotten rid of incriminating evidence, be careful of what you post. Don't update your status to share that you've just started your sixteenth drink of the night if you just called in sick.
This information purging shouldn't stop at Facebook. Still have a MySpace kicking around? What about Bebo, Hi5, or Friendster? Google your name and email and you'll likely find a mountain of forgotten profiles. Employers might not realize you haven't touched MySpace in six years and consider that information as current. If you don't use it, delete it.
Stories of missed job opportunities are all too common, and with the difficulty most people face in finding a job, a roadblock like a bad status update isn't worth your career. It's your information — take control of it.
I'm in the act of post-graduation job hunting, and every ad I've applied to thus far has asked for a Twitter username, Facebook account or personal URL. Employers have ceased being sneaky about it; they're blatantly advertising that they're going to snoop your profiles before they even think about giving you an interview.
With Facebook's popularity, it's the perfect tool for nosey employers, and they don't need your URL to find you. Type in the email address on your resume and there you are; an open door to your "private" social life. Whether this might happen or has already happened, take control of your Facebook and make sure it's not the roadblock between you and your dream job.
After receiving complaints of such snooping by unwanted persons, Facebook put controls in place that let you decide who can see your profile. Use them. Restricting access to friends-only will ensure only those you approve have access to your information. But who are your friends? We've all been faced with the dilemma: a person who lives nearby and shares a few friends sends you a friend request. You share mutual friends — does that mean you know them and you've forgotten? You might click accept on the off chance you just can't put a name to a face — you've just added your potential new employer to your friends and given them full access.
A simple privacy control no longer cuts it; you've got to ditch the incriminating info. Take some time to purge your account. Check out your friends list and ditch those you don't personally know. Check out your groups, interests, bio, and pictures, and remove anything that causes the slightest of embarrassment or guilt. This means you should probably un-tag yourself from those pictures of last Halloween ... and that costume. Remember now? Not exactly something you want your new boss to see. Some job consultants recommend having a dummy profile containing only the tamest of information and pictures to divert employers from your personal life — not a bad idea if you feel you need such extreme measures.
Once you've gotten rid of incriminating evidence, be careful of what you post. Don't update your status to share that you've just started your sixteenth drink of the night if you just called in sick.
This information purging shouldn't stop at Facebook. Still have a MySpace kicking around? What about Bebo, Hi5, or Friendster? Google your name and email and you'll likely find a mountain of forgotten profiles. Employers might not realize you haven't touched MySpace in six years and consider that information as current. If you don't use it, delete it.
Stories of missed job opportunities are all too common, and with the difficulty most people face in finding a job, a roadblock like a bad status update isn't worth your career. It's your information — take control of it.
