So I realize I have been lacking on the posts for the last couple of weeks. My wife and I had our new son about a week and a half ago, so things have been kind of crazy. But I’m back and have much to discuss. Hopefully we will get it all caught up in the next week or two.
What to talk about first…
Oooo I know! Let’s talk about Facebook and other such sites. No, wait, hmmmmm…. Let’s talk about the information that people put on their Facebook (and MySpace etc…) pages. We all know that I preach the use of social networking sites in the search for your new career. We all heard several other better known career advisors say the same thing this past week on the Today Show. Many of us have profiles on these social networking sites. More and more these days, employers are going online to these sites to see what type of person the applicant they are considering is. How do candidates control the information that potential employers see?
That is a good question. Most people have no clue as to the type or amount of information about themselves can be found on line. So let’s start by finding out what is out there. Go to www.google.com or www.pipple.com and do a search on your name. You can do it through any major search engine and I suggest you do. They will all have different information about you. If you find anything derogatory about yourself on sites that you do not control the information flow, contact the site administrator and get them to correct it.
Next is information that you control. Anywhere you have a public profile or page, a website you maintain, or a blog that you write, is a place where a potential employer can find information about you. Make sure you don’t put anything that you would not want them to see on anything online that might even remotely be attached to your name. Unsure if your web page is attached to your name? Do a search using whois. Never publish anything embarrassing on your Facebook or MySpace profiles, no party videos on Flicker,and now make sure that all your “tweets” on Twitter are well written and well formed. [Yes even Twitter has now been compromised as a tool to find a reason to hire or not.] Remember that you control the information that is placed on these sites, so make sure that it is the information that you want a potential employer to see.
So what do you put on these sites you ask? They are supposed to be “social” sites. That means what did you do Friday night, right? WRONG! Yes you can put stuff from your day to day life, but remember that “Big Brother” is watching. Use your profile as you would your resume, especially on sites like LinkedIn. Be professional in all your posts and updates. Make sure you use proper English and check your spelling. If you talk about your Friday night partying, don’t talk about how “trashed” you were or who you “hooked up” with. Make sure any information you put on these sites is suitable for “dear old mom” to read.
In short, remember that you control what people see. So, MAKE IT COUNT!
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