I agree, pictures of your flip cup victory are surely an indicator of athleticism. Your homemade sexy cat costume pics demonstrate your creativity, your photos dancing at the frats exhibit your interpersonal skills and your âI love Republicansâ status shows you are passionate. Unfortunately, your future employers may not have the same point of view. With summer internship applications soon approaching, itâs as important to clean up your Facebook as it is to pick out a killer outfit for your interview. Weâre not talking meticulously deleting every picture of you holding a red cup, but with 45 percent of employers using Facebook as a means to screen possible interns and employees itâs important to be as conscientious as possible. What kinds of photos are appropriate to leave on your Facebook when applying for a job? Do employers care about the information you post? Does the language you use influence your chances at the job? We found out.
Go through your own photo albums and look at your profile picture    Â
Letâs face it, first impressions are importantâwhich is why you wouldnât walk into an interview in a mini skirt and cleavage-baring shirt (no matter how hot you looked!). Though you might not realize it, Facebook is often a part of your interview and impressions about your character are made with every click. In a survey of 2,667 human resource workers conducted by Harris Interactive and CareerBuilder, more than half identified provocative photos as the largest contributor in the decision not to hire a potential intern or employee. Edward Klein, president of KR Capital Advisors says, âMake your Facebook pictures private if you are applying for a job and make your profile picture something both expressive and mature.â In other words, no profile pictures of you making out with your boyfriend. Instead, make your profile a pic of you on vacation (no bathing suits!), a school photo or a shot of you playing on your sports team. The Washington University Career Center agrees and says private pictures and profiles are the way to go. Consider Facebook the gossipy friend we all wish we didnât haveâanything you tell it, everyone knows.
Go through your photos tagged by others
It is always a good idea to untag any photos you wouldnât want a boss to see. All photos that include drinking, provocative outfits, or poses that give off a bad attitude need to go! Just because a picture doesnât have a red cup doesnât mean it doesnât speak to your judgment or personality. When in doubt about the appropriateness of a picture, ask yourself if you would be comfortable sitting next to your boss as he/she looked at it. If the answer is no, delete! If a friendâs photo of you is particularly risquĂ©, ask them to remove it altogether.
Now tackle your âinfoâ pageâtake a look at your interests, quotes and relationship statusÂ
With room for quotes, relationship status and interests, Facebook is the social media outlet with the most room for information faux pas. It may be obvious that posting information containing bad language and drug references is a bad idea, but everything from your political views to use of emoticons can be judged. When applying for a job, your first Facebook move should be an information overhaul. âThe most important thing to portray through your Facebook page when applying for jobs is professionalism,â says the Washington University in St. Louis Career Center. In addition, use your quotes and interests sections on your FB page to enhance your chances of getting a job by presenting information relevant to the job you are applying for. For instance, if you are applying for a job in the fashion industry, list fashion-related interests. First, go through all of your information and change anything that could be considered controversialâbad language, quotes about partying and excessive political information. Here are a few real life examples of quotes and info that need to go:
Quotes section:
âMy mum used to say to me, ‘you can’t have fun all the time,’ and I used to say, ‘why not?âWhy the f**k can’t I have fun all the time?”
Even if itâs a quote from a movie, quotes like these are inappropriate because they make potential employers worry about your character and your level of responsibility.
âIâd rather be famous than righteous or holy any day.â
Again, a quote like this would make an employer wonder about your values and your ability to professionally handle an internship.Â
Acceptable quotes include appropriate music lyrics, PG jokes from friends, motivational quotations, or clean quotes from celebrities.
Interests section:
âWondering if there is anyone more insane or annoying than Sarah Palinâ
While itâs okay to list political involvement like âmember of College Democrats,â expressing strong political sentiments is not always a good idea because the employer reading your page may either disagree with your statement or question your tact. Just like itâs usually a no-no to bring up politics during a first date, the same goes for interests you portray to potential employers.
Once your â infoâ is set, turn to your wall posts and statusÂ
Itâs often easy to forget that what other people post on your wall can be a reflection on you. Once your applications go out be sure to monitor what your friends post, because your friend saying âwe got so drunk last nightâ will have the same effect as you posting it. When writing your status, keep it cleanâalways. Also, according to a new survey by CNN, 12 percent of employers who use Facebook as a screening method will not hire someone who uses emoticons. âMaturity is key,â says a representative from the Washington University in St. Louis Career Center.
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Next, take a look at your relationship status
An important and easy thing to change is your relationships status. Keeping a real relationship status is fine, but a status like âwidowedâ may be considered more immature than funny to your potential employer.
How to change your interests, relationship status, quotes and information:
- Go to your profile page
- Click on the âinfoâ tab
- Across from âabout meâ click âeditâ
- Choose what you want to edit
- Click save
The (Facebook) Golden Rule!Â
Never say anything negative about a past employer or internship!
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Ashley*, a junior at Washington University in St. Louis, was once asked about a previous tweet in a job interview. After finishing an internship, Ashley had posted a sarcastic comment about her boss whom her new employer happened to know. Ashley explained that the comment was a joke, but wasnât offered the job. Never talking badly about any employer or job experience is the golden rule of social media etiquette.Â
Now, set to private or limited profile just in case
Regardless of how careful you are, it is always a good idea to set your Facebook page to private just in case. Hereâs how:
- Log into Facebook
- Click âaccountâ in the upper righthand corner of the page and then click âprivacy settingsâ
- Look at the different options for privacy settings âEveryoneâ, âFriends of Friendsâ, âFriends Onlyâ or âCustomââ
- For total privacy choose âFriends Onlyâ
- If you want partial privacy click âCustom,â and then edit your preferences
- Save
Always remember that everything you put on Facebook both reflects your judgment and your professionalism. Though it may seem âbig brother-ishâ that companies use personal information from Facebook as a screening method, it is a tactic here to stay. Use Facebook to your advantage and create a profile that puts your best self forward!
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Do you think itâs fair for potential employers to look at your Facebook? Sound off below!
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Photo Sources
Kinesis
Employmentguide.com
Scrapetv.com
Sources
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/more-employers-use-social-networks-to-check-out-applicants/
CNN.com
Elle.com
Edward Klein, KR capital advisors
Washington University in St. Louis Career CenterÂ