OLIVIA BARTON
STATUS UPDATE: HIRE ME BEFORE YOU FIRE ME
DECEMBER 3, 2012
PLANNING ON FINDING A NEW JOB SOON? YOU’D BETTER START CENSORING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES…
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT—IN ADDITION TO SCRUTINIZING A POTENTIAL APPLICANT’S RESUME AND COVER LETTER–MORE EMPLOYERS ARE SCREENING JOB APPLICANTS BY ASSESSING THEIR FACEBOOKS AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES.
STUDIES SHOW THAT A LITTLE OVER ONE IN EVERY FOUR HIRING MANAGERS HAVE USED SITES LIKE GOOGLE TO LOOK UP POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES. MORE EMPLOYERS ARE MAKING HIRING DECISIONS BASED ON WHAT THEY FIND OUT ABOUT YOU ONLINE.
IN ADDITION TO THE JOB HUNT, FACEBOOK SCREENING MIGHT ALSO BE A NEW TREND IN HOUSE-HUNTING! SACRAMENTO LANDLORD—LEAHNA JAMES SAYS THAT SHE DENIED A SEEMINGLY PERFECT RENTER BECAUSE OF A PICTURE SHE FOUND ON HIS FACEBOOK OF HIM SITTING IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT OF A CAR DRINKING A BEER!
SIERRA COLLEGE PROFESSOR NICHOLAS ZOFFEL ADVISES JOB-SEEKERS: IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU SHOULD THINK ABOUT YOURSELF AS A BRAND… IT’S SOMETHING TO BE MANAGED. ANYTHING YOU PUT ON FACEBOOK IS ENDORSED BY YOU.
POST AT YOUR OWN RISK, JOB-SEEKERS!
Olivia Barton 