2011 version of the above saying: You apply for a job with that profile?
I know you think I’m just being old and preachy and I “just don’t get it” but here is what I do know: if you have a Facebook profile you can almost guarantee that employers are going to search for it and, if they can find it, they are going to have a looksy at whatever you allow them to see.
How do I know this? Well, for one, employers tell us!
We recently had an employer reach out to us to express a bit of concern…and that is just recently. Here are the top two “things to think about” when finding summer internships that the employer recommended we share with students: #1 – increase all privacy settings on Facebook to ensure the highest level of privacy and #2 – be sure all pictures tagged/posted are pictures you would be comfortable with a future employer viewing (or any member of congress if you are applying for a job on Capitol Hill). I know privacy settings can be annoying but would you rather have the world see you at a certain party or land a killer internship on Capitol Hill? I know what I would choose…
Secondly, I came across a great study done by Vault.com in which they asked “thousands of job seekers and recruiters about their experiences with social media. The results—from over 3,500 candidates and 150 companies—provide answers to many of the questions about using social media to further your career success.” Check out the full study and learn the “10 Things You Need To Know About Social Media for Your Job Search”
I am not saying that Facebook still isn’t the place to stay in touch with friends and family, post fun pictures and share news and quirky links with others but what I am saying is be careful how much you allow people that aren’t your friends/family/acquaintances to see. I’m just asking you to think about it before you hit send on that next application.