Online Presence for Job Seekers
Share some of your stories of how having an online presence has both hurt and helped job seekers.
Some of our graduates have had several interviews but have not received job offers partly due to their Facebook presence. We are starting to discuss more with our students the need to post only material they would feel comfortable with a potential employer seeing.
When an online presence is done professionally, it has helped potential employers get to know more about our grad candidates and has contributed to their being hired. Conversely, when inappropriate language or information has been included within our grads' social media presences, employers have told me they have not hired them based on their unprofessionalism. I advise our students to either hide their profiles or to include only information that is 100% professional and that an employer would not have issues with viewing.
I have also had the conversation with many students. They do have a false sense of security, though, when it comes to the privacy settings on their facebook and instagram accounts. Many don't seem to understand that those privacy settings are not as private as they might think. I have made it part of my exit interview process to go ahead do a quick search of the student while they are in my office so they can see how a potential employer would view them.
Hi Jessica,
I'm glad to hear you've made this part of your exit interview process. It's so important! You may find the following resources helpful when working with students on developing a professional online presence:
1. Beginner's Guide to Social Media for the Job Seeker - http://lwire.us/?l=JAKH
2. SimpleWash - I recommend reading this short blog on SimpleWash, an app to help clean up your online presence http://lwire.us/?l=N0U0
I hope those resources help! Keep up the good and IMPORTANT work you do!
Robert Starks Jr.
I agree with the Facebook reference. I tell my Grads all the time to edit their facebook content or at least make it private so employers don't get too much information about their personal lives. I have actually used Facebook when hiring advisors in my office in the past and a lot of photos of partying, angry postings etc. weed out a lot of potential employees.
I have had students get interviews and then not hear back. Because I have access to some of their online presence (I have been friended on their Facebook page) and I believe that an employer may have seen some of their content. Drama, vulgar language, and inappropriate posts have been front and center.
I have not had an employer tell us that the reason they did not hire a student was because of their online presence, but knowing what I know about employers researching potential employees online, I can't help but think that presence played a part in the student not receiving another interview or the job.
We are living in the age of technology, it has come accustomed to search an individual that is applying and see what they are like outside of the work space. I know several individuals who didn't receive a position due to what they are posting on their social media page(s).
Facebook alone has hurt graduates due to the content they put online. I have discussed with them to make their posts private, ensure they profile pictures and cover photo are professional. A company will judge them on their photographs and they may not realize this.
The largest, and has been mentioned in different formats, is how someone conducts themselves on Facebook and Twitter. From the username and email addresses created to the photos displayed of themselves to the quotes or pictures they post to movies or books they choose to show they like to wording they use in their posts. Open access online also includes easy background checks on someone. It is public record to search someones criminal history online and employers do conduct these searches as well. You are helped when you have created a positive Linked In account or have had articles posted online about your achievements or promotions.
Hi Margaret,
I always try to teach students that it isn't the tools that hurt them but how they decide to use them. Do you feel your students are able to distinguish the difference between "Facebook" hurting them (which it can't because it's just at tool) and How they USE Facebook? Although subtle, in my own experience, I've found I must spend time making this clear distinction. What have you found?
Robert Starks Jr.
Many of our students have no idea about their online presence. As part of their career development class they search the Web looking for anything under their name. That is always the most interesting part of the class. They find things that were from years ago and had no idea it could be found on the Web. It is eye opening for them and I've found most to be much more careful about what they publish.
One graduate I can remember was up for a lead position with a huge local employer. Despite her amazing credentials, she showed me the rejection letter that stated, "We have decided to hire a candidate that has a less negatively advertised personal life."
Another of our grads that unfortunately in her early years had a felonious event on her record was able to land a position at a world renowned company, despite their policy. Her LinkedIn profile was meticulous & thorough! She had worked very hard to establish well known professional contacts while she was still a student.
it definately can hurt the student if they present themselves in a negative unprofessional manner. We discuss the importance during professional development
