Rejected: 95% Of Employers Use Social Networks To Check Out Job Candidates
Our friends at Faronics have been hard at work writing a bunch of great articles on everything from how to be safer online, to trends in social media. If you need a security expert, they are a great source. This is a guest post from Ryan at Faronics on just how important it is to monitor what goes on your Facebook! If you want more about building an awesome online reputation, check out our online course for Building A Killer Social Resume.
95% of employers admit to using social networking sites to check out potential employers. The information you post freely on your Facebook account can now be used against you.
Based on a survey taken by employers, here are a few things to avoid:
- Don’t post the pictures from your night out last weekend (You know the ones I’m talking about). Inappropriate pictures, especially ones involving drugs and alcohol were high on the list.
- Don’t badmouth previous employers. This speaks for itself. Your new boss wants to know that you will be a good representative of their company, and that you will continue to be respectful even after you leave.
- Don’t lie about your qualifications. 13% of employers said they rejected those who lied about their credentials. For example, lying about your degree, what school you went to, previous job experience, is not okay.
How can you avoid being turned away because of your Facebook?
- Go through your photos. If there’s nothing you can do about the inappropriate pictures that were posted of you, at least un-tag yourself so they don’t show up on your profile.
- Clean up your wall. If you don’t want to be reprimanded for the conversations you have with your friends, delete the posts, or make use of your inbox.
- Be wary of your status updates. I think this one pretty much speaks for itself. If you wouldn’t want you mom to read it, chances are, your future employer wont like it either.
- Be careful not to fall for scams. Nobody wants to be victim to a scam, so to avoid an awkward mess, don’t click on anything that appears strange.
As private as you think your Facebook is, and as much as you feel like you should be free to post what you like, you need to be aware that the things you post can and will affect your career.