Saturday, March 3, 2012

Job Hunt Frenzy


Have you ever gotten so mad that you just wanted to spout off on Twitter? Hasn’t the urge to write a nasty, expletive-laden blog post or Facebook status ever taken over your judgment? Well if you are in the market for a job you better think twice. According to a 2011 survey by Reppler, up to 90 percent of employers check out their applicants’ social media presence during the hiring process.

Like it or not, the content you post on social media sites are not really all that private. Anybody, including employers, can access these posts. In fact, Twitter posts are especially vulnerable to during the hiring process since Twitter profiles are open for everyone to see. Every tweet you fire off is logged and available for employers to view later. That one inadvisable tweet you wrote about your boss two years ago is still lurking out in cyberspace just waiting to haunt you. 

Another touchy subject is your Facebook. Especially with the new timeline feature, your wall posts, statuses, comments, and photos are all logged and readily viewable at any time. In fact, one of the worst problems that people run into is an embarrassing photo taken years ago on that evening nobody talks about cropping up during the interview period. Employers are looking for these things, not to turn down good candidates, but instead to protect the company image. 

Whether it is fair or not, bosses are no longer merely using a resume, cover letter, and interview to judge who you are. Employers view your conversations on social media, positive and negative, as an extension of your personality. As an employee, you are an extension of your company on social media, even when you are off the clock. Drunken pictures and expletive laden Facebook statuses are not the way to win over a boss.

Social media is not completely evil for job seekers though. The same Reppler study found that 68 percent of employers did hire a candidate due to something they noticed in the candidate’s social media portfolio. It is all about keeping yourself honest and watching what you post. A little caution can go a long way in trying to earn a job in today’s social media driven world.

14 comments:

  1. I think you bring to light some great points about privacy and the job hunting market. Whether or not we want to admit, you are right, we are entering into a time in our society where essentially nothing that we put on the internet is private. I know that I have my Twitter account public so I monitor very carefully what I tweet or don’t tweet. I think that its fair that employers may want to know a little more about your personality than what could come across in an interview, but the idea of a potential employer hacking onto my Facebook makes me a little leery. Not only do I think this is a violation of privacy, but it seems to me to be a bit nosey.

    I recently read an article where a young man went into an interview and was asked for his Facebook log in name and password. I think that if I were to find myself in that situation I may actually get up and leave, searching for an applicant on Facebook is one thing but to have private information by having log in information seems a bit drastic. The point I’m trying to make I guess is that it doesn’t really matter anymore if I disagree with the way employers may search to find out my real personality, because it seems that anything I post on the internet is fair game. That’s just something that our generation is going to have to get used to I think.

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  2. It is interesting that about 90 percent of companies are now conducting these social media background checks when looking to hire a new employee. Although many people are afraid these checks, I read a recent article that discussed how pictures of you out with friends drinking in a responsible manner were seen as an aid in the job process because future employers felt that these pictures portrayed outgoing and social personalities, a characteristic that weighs heavily. While the responsible drinking pictures could be considered an aid, the picture of you and your friends doing keg stands or passed out in the bathtub can and will be detrimental to your job hunt.
    The point that many companies are trying to make with these social media checks is that you will be a representative of the company, and if you cannot represent yourself with dignity how would it be possible for you to uphold the company’s reputation.

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  3. As a college senior graduating in May, I’ve been doing the job search thing for months. I’ve made a point to go through the thousands of Facebook pictures and delete or untag anything I think may be inappropriate in an employer’s eyes. I think it’s important for young professionals to keep their noses clean. The job market is extremely competitive right now and companies want the best and the brightest. If a new employee isn’t going to help shine a positive light on the company’s image, I don’t blame them for questioning whether or not they are the one to hire. I’ve watched what I tweeted, the statuses I update, the pictures I post, etc. I’ve made the necessary privacy setting adjustments to ensure that my information remains as private as possible. However, if employers are looking for a reason to not hire someone, they’ll be able to find it with all the different social media outlets these days!

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    1. I think you make a really good argument, but I have to play devil's advocate. Weren't these social media sites created to share your life how you choose? Does it really have to be all about employ-ability now?

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  4. I know that employers will check their applicants’ social media presence sometime during the screening and hiring process and this is something that I am always sensitive to and aware of. I use my Twitter professionally, which a few personal tweets scattered throughout, and I think that is just enough to keep myself honest in social media. I want employers to know my personality and I want to be more than a cover letter and resume. If done correctly, social media can give you an edge. Maintain professionalism at all times, but be yourself. Employers will value that you make friends and family a priority, or that you have a secret dessert obsession that you like to post about.

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  5. My question is, can employers still see a log every comment you've ever posted if your Twitter has always been private? In either case, I always try to post a mix of things that describe who I am. Whether I am interacting with friends, or retweeting interesting PR articles, I try to represent who I am online while keeping a professional image.

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  6. One good idea when monitoring yourself is to Google your name as well. I thought I had some photos blocked on my Facebook, but before I started to make my privacy policies really strict my photos somehow ended up on Google. I agree that the use of social media can also help you, but if you started your Facebook really young (like me) you were not aware of how much all of this can influence your life down in the long run. I believe there should be more classes in high school educating kids younger than us these situations that are occurring. Morale of the story is keep as many things as you can private, and if you don't want your boss or grandmother to see it don't post it. I have a pretty clean social media presence but there are still pictures that have been posted up that I wish I have never seen on the internet before. It all starts at the beginning and I think education of social media at a young age will help you in the long run.

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  7. I've been in the position where I'd like to say some pretty awful things online but I always end up stopping myself. I think what stops me the most is that I don't like reading about it when someone else posts similar rants so at the risk of being "that girl" I stop myself. Another thing that stops me is that I am a senior and I do want to have a life after college so I try to control what I say in a very public atmosphere. In response to Megan's comment, I have googled myself. You'd be surprised at the stuff that comes up.

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    1. I agree and have definitely been in the same situation. It can be tough to monitor exactly what you tweet or post as a Facebook status in the heat of the moment, but unfortunately employers will most likely find that one negative comment or expletive laden rant.

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  8. I became very vigilant of my social media habits this year as I approached the job search. I have a separate twitter account that i use for professional reasons only and keep my personal twitter account on private. I try to ask myself for both accounts if what i'm saying is something i'd want my parents to read - that is usually a good gauge as to whether or not it's professionally appropriate as well.

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  9. Lately, I have heard a lot of chatter regarding the hiring process and social media. I feel that, by this point in our lives, if you are old enough to apply for a job lasting longer than a summer, you are old enough to know better than to post something that might keep you from getting hired on a public forum. One can never be too careful--or too conservative--when deciding what to post and what to save for a more personal and private forum. However, I have also heard lately of companies asking for an applicant's username and password so that they can get an unrestricted look into that person's social media presence. I feel this is unethical; one would never ask for the person's debit card pin in order to see their spending habits, and for some, an internet password can be just as heavily protected depending on the person. Some argue that if there is nothing to hide, there shouldn't be an issue, but I still feel that asking for this information would rattle the applicant unnecessarily, and that it is crossing a professional boundary.

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  10. After reading this post it sent chills down my spine knowing that companies can simply type my name in Google and find so much information about me with the click of a button. I agree that the timeline feature is a great tool to keep in touch with what your friends have been up to, but it's also scary that future employers can basically track your life year by year. Not only can they see your present information but they can see what you have posted by typing in your name along with a couple of words. I just realized that this was possible while I was trying to search for a blog that I created for one of my classes. I typed in the name of my blog with my name and up popped a Facebook post that I had written nearly 2 years ago. Creepy stuff if you ask me. I believe that it is important now more than ever to watch what I am posting on Facebook and tweeting about since I will be entering the business world in a few weeks.

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  11. It's actually scary to think about employers reading my Twitter or Facebook. I don't post anything inappropriate but if things are taken out of context or I don't seem serious enough, I have to wonder, will I be denied an internship (or job). I know that privacy settings can only go so far but I dont know the proper protocal for what can be found and what can't be. I also know that some employers ask for your password to your Facebook so see your protected account. I guess the safest thing is to keep it all cleaned up.

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  12. It's kind of scary to think that anything that's ever been posted about you can be viewed by your potential employers. I try to keep my twitter and facebook as private as possible, while also keeping track of all things posted on my page. I untag and delete anything that may be viewed in the wrong way. It worries me that even with the delete button posts can still be tracked down.

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