When I first heard that employers were Facebooking potential employees, I can’t say I was surprised. We’ve all done it at some point in our lives – heard about so-and-so doing this-and-that, and we just had to Facebook them to see if they were someone we knew. Some call it stalking, I call it confirmatory research.
Employers want the best people to work for them, and no one can deny that Facebook can tell you way more about a person than a resumé. That being said, there have definitely been occurrences where employers rejected potential candidates based on things they saw on their Facebook profile. (Regretting those photos you took at that party last week? Yeah. You probably shouldn't put them on your profile.)
This social media hunt isn’t restricted just to Facebook. Any social media site (even Google) can turn your potential job offer into wishful thinking.
Your To-Do List
1. Facebook
Go through your Facebook account.
Do you see anything that would make you look like a sketchy employee? Delete,
and repeat.
2. Every other social
media site known to man
Do you have accounts on Twitter,
Google+, or anything similar? See step 1: delete and repeat.
3. Google yourself
Google is amazing because it can
help you find anything that was ever posted on the internet. This might not
prove so amazing if you’re trying to get a job, because Google remembers everything. Google yourself sometime, and see what
comes up. If it’s a bunch of things that you DON’T want future employers to see,
set out to change that by any (legal) means possible.
4. Make a LinkedIn
account
LinkedIn is called “the employer’s
Facebook” by some people, and it makes sense. Employers get a chance to see
your resume and learn a bit about you before they meet you (it does the same
job as a resume). LinkedIn might even help you get a job you weren’t looking
for!
Above all, the key thing to
remember when using social media is to maintain a sense of
professionalism. You might be on
Facebook, but you have to keep in mind that employers can just as easily make
Facebook accounts as well. Check out this tip sheet for professionalism!
Best,
Farihah
Farihah
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Peter
Hi! You have such an interesting and very informative page. I'll be looking forward to be visiting your site again and for your other posts as well. Keep it up! Thank you so much for sharing some of your ideas about this particular issue. It is so fulfilling to have an additional knowledge about social media careers from you.
By the end of 2011, social media recruiter postings appear on a regular basis on job aggregator sites like Indeed.com and Simply Hired, and number well over 1,000 in an October 2011 search.
Don't count on a traditional degree to get you much traction when it comes to getting a job in social media – it's your social experience that will make the difference.
social media careers MA
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