Social Savy Employers are checking your Facebook!

So you put on a new suit, got there 15 minutes early, submitted stellar resume and had the perfect answers, so why didn't you get the job? Are you over qualified? Great degree but no experience?  If your prospective employer knows anything about social media, I guarantee they checked you out online and weren't thrilled with what they found.  Perhaps you don't have scandalous photos  posted of yourself but you made disparaging comments about a previous employer or used too much profanity. News flash, it's not just your photos that you have to clean up when job hunting, it's your whole page and online persona.  Your Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn and twitter profiles are not as private as you think.  If the employer has any shared connection they can see way more than you realize.  What do you do?

Before you even send your resume out, clean up your page and let your friends know you don't want to be tagged in any crazy shenanigans.  Un-tag yourself in anything remotely risque or more than pg-13.  In fact, if it's not PG don't post it or tag it. Think of your profile as an extension of your resume and if you wouldn't print it out and hand it to your interviewer don't put it online.  

Next, add your profile URLs to your resume and send a friend or "link" request to the company and interviewer.  This shows your prospective employer your have nothing to hide and that you welcome increased scrutiny.  Note to employers - just like real estate is a buyers market, this is your job market.  There are great candidates looking for you, be picky and do your research.  It would be terrible to find out after hiring someone that they have a zest for binge drinking and drunk posting... the modern version of drunk dialing/texting.

So now perhaps you did get the job, great! You're in so now you can go crazy online... or not. More and more employers expect you to maintain at least a modicum of professionalism online, especially if you tag yourself in anything related to their company.  Facebook allows you to input your employer info, which also means your employer could hold you to a whatever standard they deem appropriate.

Moral of the story, your private profiles probably aren't that private.  Employers are doing their research and an otherwise stellar candidate can be passed over if they're not mindful of their online persona. If you don't think you have an objective view of your profile, ask a friend, or better yet, your mom to take a look and tell you what they see... that's right, your mom.... let that sink in.

Find me on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ncmediadiva; linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/katiewebb16; google+: https://plus.google.com/106165227254812841004