An article in NYTimes yesterday (“More Employers Use Social Networks to Check Out Applicants“) shared this flurry of statistics about how potential employers are finding you all over the internet:
“According to a new study conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder.com, 45 percent of employers questioned are using social networks to screen job candidates — more than double from a year earlier, when a similar survey found that just 22 percent of supervisors were researching potential hires on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn.
The study, which questioned 2,667 managers and human resource workers, found that 35 percent of employers decided not to offer a job to a candidate based on the content uncovered on a social networking site…
The report showed that Facebook was the most popular online destination for employers to do their online sleuthing, followed by LinkedIn and MySpace. In addition, 7 percent followed job candidates on Twitter.
More than half of the employers who participated in the survey said that provocative photos were the biggest factor contributing to a decision not to hire a potential employee, while 44 percent of employers pinpointed references to drinking and drug use as red flags.”
Tips to avoid being on the wrong side of these statistics:
- As we’ve always said, google yourself thoroughly and see what potential employers are finding. Run a google image search as well.
- Set up a Google alert on your name
- Protect your Twitter updates.
- Jazz up your Facebook security settings.
- De-tag incriminating photos
- Check out this past blog post with other tips on hiding your indiscretions
Tags: job search, linkedin, recruitment, social media, students, unemployment
If you protect your security settings too much, then that can raise a red flag too. Perhaps the best thing is to “put your best foot forward” in public and realize that social media is public. If you want to send pictures to your pals, use email or an alias/separate site. If you keep your public face clean, and allow employers to find you, then you have yet another opportunity to “interview”.