Social Networking: Helping or Hindering the Job Seeker?

Social networking is extremely popular.  Everyone is doing it, whether it’s on Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Yahoo 360 and/or others.  But guess what?  Did you know that prospective employers use these sites to check out who you really are?  Social networking is a great way to make connections with potential job opportunities and promote your own personal brand.  So job seekers must make sure they are using these sites to their advantage by exhibiting a professional image and emphasizing their qualifications. 

Many job seekers seem to be aware of the fact that hiring managers are using these sites to get a truer feel for who a prospective employee really is.  And what better way to do it?  By reviewing these sites, they can see who your friends are, how you relate to them, what you do in your spare time, etc.  Eighteen percent of employers said they found content on social networking sites that encouraged them to hire the candidate. Some examples include:

• The profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality.
•  The profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications.
•  The profile showed that the candidate was creative.
•  The candidate showed strong communication skills.
•  Other people posted good references about the candidate.

However, many job seekers are doing the opposite and not being careful at all of the content they’re posting online.  Thirty-five percent of employers reported that they have found content on prospective candidate’s pages that caused them not to hire the candidate.  Some examples given included the following:

• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information.
•  Candidate posted content/pictures of themselves drinking or using drugs.  Posting binge drinking as one of your favorite past-times isn’t the best idea. 
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients.
•  Candidate showed weak communication skills.
•  Candidate made discriminatory comments.
•  Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer

Don’t let your social networking page(s) eliminate you from obtaining that dream job you have been looking for.  Be Smart!!

Here are five tips for job seekers to keep a positive image online:

1. Clean up “digital dirt” BEFORE you begin your job search. Remove any photos, language, content and links that can work against you in an employer’s eyes.
2. Keep gripes offline. Keep the content you post focused on positive things, whether it’s related to professional or personal information.
3.  Be selective about whom you accept as friends. Don’t forget, others can see your friends when they search for you. Monitor comments made by others and consider using the “block comments” feature. Even better, set your profile to “private” so only designated friends can view it.
4.  If you’re still employed, don’t mention your job search in your status updates. There are multiple examples of people who have gotten fired as a result of doing this. And, a potential employer might assume that if you’re willing to search for a new job on your current company’s time, why wouldn’t you do so on theirs? 

Social networking is a great resource for many things, including helping or hurting your career opportunities.  In today’s competitive job market, you should be aware that the same people you know might be the ones who are hiring.  Give yourself the best chances at securing that dream job by making these tools a positive and not a negative in your job search.

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