Social Media, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter– BE CAREFUL!

  I met with a colleague the other day who had just returned from a national meeting in San Antonio, Texas where the various facets of social media were discussed.  She was telling me about how the various social media platforms were serving as new advertising mediums.  One of the key factors that she cited was the use of many social media web sites to “check out” a perspective employee that  may have applied for a position with your firm.
  The issue of reviewing the social media web site was to ascertain what type of an individual a perspective employee may be if he/she is actually offered a job.  Now, you can argue that might be patently unfair, however, who ever said that anything was fair?  Who ever said that that a prospective employer cannot verify or check out the background of a job applicant however they deem probable?  The answer is no one ever said that.  My point in this discussion is that with social media sites being as popular as they are, you may wish to be very careful about what you might post.  Those posts may haunt you later in your career search.
   Having a wide variety of silly pictures on your social media site may be fun and exciting, however, it also may cause you to have difficulty with gaining a new job.  I am aware of an individual who is now engaged to be married, however, a review of his social media site shows him with many “girl friends” from the past.  OK, you say, no big deal.  OK, no big deal– perhaps.  My point in this is that you don’t know what a perspective employer may think.
   I was telling this story to a group that  I spoke with the other day and one of the participants said that his human resources director always checks several social media sites whenever they have a job applicant.  He shared with the group that in several instances, the firm has elected NOT to hire the applicant because of something that was either posted or pictured on the applicant’s social media site.
   Finding jobs in these turbulent times is tough enough without having to worry about what may be posted on your social media web site!  Be careful of what kinds of material you post on there– although it may draw many laughs today, it may also be the downfall in finding the job that you really desired and were ostensibly well qualified to fill.