Just like your cover letter, resume and job interview, social networking sites have also become an important component in which employers base their decision to hire you or not. Preserve your professional image by always being cautious.
For the very reason that Facebook is beneficial during a job search, it has been getting the attention of prospective employers. Aside from googling possible employees, 53% of employers, according to the statistics of PC Advisor, also check job applicants on social networking sites like Facebook.
Despite the fact that they help you open doors of opportunities, they can also ruin your chances of getting a job if you’re not cautious.
Take for example, the case of two car-detailing workers at Pitt Meadows who were fired for posting homophobic slurs against their bosses who were their Facebook friends.
If you think your chances of getting hired may be affected by your Facebook account, you should learn to exercise these five cautious steps:
1. Choose your profile pictures wisely.
2. Be cautious of the pictures and comments you post
3. Do not divulge too much personal information
4. Refrain from talking negatively on your Facebook account
5. Tweak your Facebook privacy settings.
The primary picture you post in your Facebook account should be generally wholesome and proper. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a professional image, but you should avoid questionable poses and lurid images.
It’s no comparison to the shock that an employer gets when he sees you stoned, wasted or clad in women’s clothing.
If you allow everybody to view your profile, be careful of the pictures and comments you post on your wall.
Always do an inventory of the things you want to post and make sure they won’t cause any damage on your professional career. It’s always best to keep everything clean so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
Some Facebook users make the mistake of putting every bit of personal information into their account from their sexual preferences, to their political views, as well as religious beliefs.
While this may be a good thing if you’re looking for the perfect lifetime partner, this may set the grounds for discrimination issues if employers want to hire you.
Whether you love to trash talk your previous employer or you’re having a word war with your ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend or you just like to express yourself through expletives, employers see this as regressive behavior that is not good for the company.
They want someone who’s got the right attitude to produce results and you just missed your chance when you’ve done these things.
One of the important and safest things you can do to safeguard your privacy is to tweak your Facebook settings to display only certain amounts of information. When you’re job searching, you never really know what comes your way so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Don’t make your life a public spectacle; reserve that privilege for you and your closest friends. When it comes to impressing the employers, it’s all about having a clean and professional image.
Conclusion
From being a college-based networking site in 2004, Facebook has come a long way of revolutionizing social networking. The latest count of active users has surpassed the 1 billion mark.
More than 50% of users are from around the globe and Facebook usage continues to grow with each passing second.
Don’t let your personal life get your professional life in trouble!
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