Privacy Warning!
Editor’s note: If anybody thought we were kidding about companies Googling or checking online profiles of potential hires, here it is … straight from our own HR gal!
Internet communities have become extremely popular among college students.
Sites like Facebook.com and MySpace.com seem to be the perfect place for people to express themselves, keep in touch with friends, share thoughts, and post pictures of fun times. However, as a job seeker you should be very careful about what you are posting on your internet profiles. These sites are becoming a new tool for recruiters to truly get a glimpse of the person they are thinking of hiring. I am hearing more and more stories of how potential employers are turning to these online profiles for employment screening.
While MySpace has already received much publicity for its lackadaisical viewing restrictions, Facebook has traditionally been considered safe due to the site requiring a “.edu” email to have access and even then only granting viewing privilages to those in your network. However, recently Facebook has allowed companies to register under their own networks, making it all the more important to monitor your profile content and privacy settings.
It is my recommendation that you remove all controversial content and questionable pictures…basically make sure your profile is acceptable enough so as that you would not mind if your potential employer had access. You may also alter your privacy settings, but most of the time where there is a will, there is a way. Better safe than sorry, so I would still edit the content.
The online community movement is quickly expanding. While not all companies are using these sites to make judgements about potential hires, enough are using them to cause many to alter their profiles. As I said, I am hearing more and more instances of Facebook and MySpace spying. Be safe and smart and make your profile a professional reflection of who you are in your job search.
Technorati Tags: career advice, job hunting, myspace, facebook, pr students
[…] Forward Blog: Privacy Warning! Freedom of speech - just watch what you say. And, well, that includes online as well, on various sites where you might put out your public persona. Too many firms are now looking at online reputations, and it helps to keep a relatively clean one. […]
Pingback by Blog Run » Blog Archive » Hot Jobs, Hiding the Past, Changing PR (Again) and PR in SL — September 19, 2006 @ 12:34 am
[…] In a previous post, “Privacy Warning!” I warned about cleaning up your Facebook and MySpace accounts during your job search because more and more employers are viewing applicant profiles on these sites in the selection process. I recently came across an article that I wanted to share with you all regarding “Digital Dirt.” It goes further than these online communities. As a job applicant, you must ensure that your reputation is favorable on the entire web. The article “How to Clean Up Your Digital Dirt Before It Trashes Your Job Search” by Jared Flesher offers some great tips in this area. I encourage you to read the article and apply their suggestions in your job search. […]
Pingback by Forward Blog » Blog Archive » Do You Have Digital Dirt? — April 30, 2007 @ 9:38 pm