Social Networking Can Be Perilous to Your Employment

Is Your Profile Harming Your Job Search?

The fact is that personal information, including opinions, is readily available to anyone looking for it. Long before the interview process starts, your social networking site may be providing that all-important "first impression." Since the shelf-life of Internet content is virtually endless, it is important to manage your on-line image. Whether or not your are job searching, the implications for trouble down the road should be addressed. 

Take for example the experience of a young woman hired as a management consultant. Having moved from Ohio to California, she created a web profile on MySpace in the hopes of meeting new people. She was conservative with the information she posted. She had listed her interests as biking and water sports. Over the next few months, she meet several people with similar interests.  One Friday, she decided to call in sick and go surfing with a few of her new pals. A few days later, unknown to her, one of her "surfer" friends posted some pictures of Friday's events on her profile page. It just so happened that her boss was checking up on her daughter and came across the dated photos on the woman's site. It was an embarrassing situation as the woman learned an important lesson. Social networking can be a small world and you have little control over the information you put on the Internet. 

Not every employer uses these tactics. But you can bet the practice will continue to escalate. It would be prudent to protect your image right from the start. Here are a few pointers to consider when creating on-line profiles used for social networking: 

1. Be aware that nothing is private. Do not post anything that a prospective employer might consider derogatory. This includes provocative photos, obscene language, or lewd jokes. Anything that is questionable will be a reflection on your character. 

2. If possible, consider creating a private social networking profile. Some sites allow you to be discreet in limiting who can visit your site. You can make it so that only your chosen friends can view your site. For posted comments that are negative, use the blocking feature. Keep in mind that most everything is archived and often difficult to erase.