Don’t think that celebrities are the only ones who should worry about what shows up on the computer screen when they Google their name. Surveys conducted during the last five years are showing that employers nationwide are increasingly checking social media sites before hiring people for internships and full-time jobs.
In September 2008, CareerBuilder.com surveyed a group of hiring managers and found that 22 percent use social networking forums to research their potential employees before making their final decisions. One-third of them (34 percent) said that they found content on the websites that caused them to change their minds and not hire the candidate.
In a 2011 study performed by the UK business psychology group OPP, 56 percent of employers said they are likely to check social media outlets before hiring job candidates. This increase confirms that a growing number of businesses are taking to the web to find information on potential employees; only 11 percent of employers participated in social media research method in 2006.
Here are a few do’s and don’ts to remember when posting things online.
DON’Tuse profanity. Not only does using foul language emulate immaturity, but it also enables prospective employers to believe that you are aggressive. Using expletives, whether through a Facebook status of via tweet, does not show employers that you can be a team player.
DOnetwork with employers. Use Facebook and Twitter to professionally promote yourself. For example, journalism majors can update their Facebook status or tweet on Twitter linking friends to their recently published articles. Use the social network realm to assist you in furthering your career goals.
Twenty-four percent of the employers who researched potential employees said that the content they found actually reinforced their decision to hire the candidate.
DON’T post pictures with excessive partying, especially if you’re underage. This goes without saying, if you’re under 21 you shouldn’t have any pictures containing you with a red solo cup in hand. Interviewers will assume that you do not do well with authoritative figures and that you don’t follow directions.
If you’re over 21 you can certainly flaunt it a little – just don’t go overboard. Don’t let every single album include pictures of you dancing on the bar, taking shots, or having a beer in your hand. Know how to balance it out. It may seem fun at the time but when you’re told in an interview that you have not gotten the job because of pictures on your Facebook, you won’t be feeling too great.
DOuse proper grammar and spelling. ‘Wuld u want 2 hire sum1 who upd8d their statusez lyke dis?’
Try to update your social media feeds by using proper grammar and spelling. It may be the way you speak, but it isn’t the way you want corporate companies viewing your communication and writing skills.
DON’Tpost provocative pictures of yourself or anyone else. It’s simple—ladies, stay classy. If your parents wouldn’t want to see it, most likely your future bosses won’t either.
DOcheck what kind of screen name you are choosing. First and last names usually do the trick, but immaturity will reek off of your profile if you choose usernames like sexymama123.
DON’T lie. If you post something on Facebook that doesn’t exactly match something you put in your resume, the hiring manager will notice and it will affect your chances when you go for the interview.
In the 2008 survey, 27 percent of potential employees were dismissed from candidacy after lying about their qualifications online.