Let’s face it: we all love Facebook. After a weekend of mayhem or a memorable event, we immediately look to Facebook to see photos and evidence that we had a more epic time than anyone, ever. Our Facebook statuses are full of our emotional ups and downs and we tweet our everyday activities hoping someone will be interested.
But with 37% of companies using social networks to research potential job candidates*, we’re risking our dream job with photos of last night’s indiscretions. Of the nearly 2 in 5 companies checking out our profiles, 65% do it to see if we present ourselves professionally, and 51% are interested in whether we’re a good fit for the company culture.
Your image, personality, communication skills and decorum are all of interest to your prospective employer. So if you insist on posting pics from your best friend’s hen do, make sure your privacy settings are set so that employers won’t be able to see them. Be sure to post inoffensive images to your profile and cover photos, and make sure your education and qualifications are up-to-date and accurate across all of your social media profiles. Using Twitter? Avoid sharing info about your three-day bender or bad-mouthing your previous employer. And watch your spelling and grammar. Something as simple as numerous typos could see you rejected.
*According to a survey by CareerBuilder in April 2012.
Another interesting blog! Great work, Josie! So true, some companies are using social networks to research potential job candidates. But us, candidates, can do the same thing and research, for example, company’s managers etc. What a funny surprise I had when I’ve seen my manager having indecent photos under a folder named Drunken Madness”! it was hard after that to keep a straight face..when those funny images were flashing through my head haha! That’s why we have to make sure our privacy settings are set
That’s why it’s always important to be careful what you do or say.
social media eg facebook. twitter are a social networking for people to connect with each other, i dont think it will stop you getting your dream job. Yes people do bad mouth on them, but doesnt mean no dream job will come out of it!
Facebook is massively dangerous at my job, people have got in trouble for the littlest comments that have been made. I think Facebook is great for socialising but you do have to be careful as nothing is secretive anymore.
It can affect your dream job! For example, if you’re an employer checking a potential candidate’s Facebook profile and you see hundreds of photos of him/her (the candidate) acting like a clown being drunk, the thing that comes in mind is that there is a strong posibility that he/she might pull a lot of sickies at work or arrive late at work, because the night before he/she had a rough night out and now he/she’s got a nasty hangover..at work! 🙂
Yes lynn, facebook is very bad mouthed at people its wrong how people are allowed to bad mouth on there, it should be just for socialising but its not then people get into trouble by there work as there employers are on there!
If I was an employer I would certainly use it to see what prospective employees are like. Some of the things I’ve seen on Facebook are shocking and from supposedly very nice people too.
Media also has opened the world to so many possibilities which cant be forgotten with good there’s always bad.
Yes Lynn i have seen some shocking things on facebook too, i worked for new look once and the manager was on facebook and saw everything people wrote! not very proffessional, you can do a privacy setting tho!
very interesting blog 🙂 I agree with you. My Facebook profile can be seen only my my friends and i make sure there is nothing offensive. If i would be an employer i would definitely check my candidates profiles 🙂
I think it’s wrong. Facebook is your private life. That should not affect your chances of getting a job at all. How did they decide who would get a job before the Facebook days? If I go out and get really drunk on the weekend, I wouldn’t and shouldn’t expect to fail a job interview on the monday morning because of it.
im not sure what my privacy is set too, but i def would be friends with my employer because my friends put stupid things on there too.. so the employer would see their status. Its best not to be friends with the employer then you cant get into trouble!
You have to make sure your privacy settings are set so only your friends can see what you’ve been up to. Pictures on facebook can give people completely the wrong impression of someone!
Sad but true. Employers would be daft not to research prospective employees however given that Social Media sites are meant for having fun, I think employers should be wary of using that information to bias their opinion. Personally I try not to post pictures of my family and I do review my privacy settings. Big brother will always be watching you!
I have my friends and family on facebook, so i never put any thing rude or anything that will offend anyone! Its best not to say too much on facebook as you can end up in alot of trouble by doing so!
be careful not to have too many work colleagues, if any on there. I used to run a shop and one of my staff members was suspended for something she did. To get her own back she actually printed off my fb pages with anything that mentioned work-even me saying I am so tired after work, or well done to people and she gave them to my boss and claimed I was unprofessional!!! I was told by the company that I could not mention anything at all not even being tired etc. Nothing came of it but it shocked me that someone would do that
Its best to keep your work life and social life separate or better still don’t mention anything work related on FB. You never know, it may come back!
some employers add you as a friend on facebook to check up on you and i think thats wrong as its your life what you do but not if it affects your work..