Facebook Types – The Drunk, originally uploaded by TheGrossUncle.
While Facebook may not be one of the networks or tools that you use in your career search, employers and recruiters are certainly using it in their search for the top candidates.
Take a few minutes to review your profile and consider these tips so you don’t ever have to say that Facebook cost you your career!
Clean up your act. Before you add anything, screen your profile for anything that could be questionable in the eyes of the employer and consider removing it. While Facebook is a social network where you and your friends should be allowed to express yourselves and your personalities, you don’t want any pictures, videos, wall posts or any other content on your profile to taint how you’re perceived by someone new, especially if that someone might be considering you for an opportunity. – Chris Perry, CareerRocketeer.com
Add more depth than a regular resume. A public Facebook profile allows the candidate to provide a media-rich introduction to him or herself before a phone or face-to-face interview ever takes place. Photos and even videos can introduce the hiring manager to the candidate and subtly suggest why the candidate is qualified and the best for the job. Images of the candidate in professional clothing and professional settings, videos of the candidate giving a talk or performing a professional service, etc. can all help to convince a hiring manager that the candidate is one who should be considered seriously as a future employee. – Heather Huhman, ComeRecommended.com
Plan your status updates. Most people just put random thoughts or events on their updates. But by carefully crafting your updates, you can paint a picture of who you are for that prospective boss or buyer.
Don’t get caught up in the games. Facebook has lots of fun features like Mafia Wars and surveys, but you can look like you are a kid without any sense of discretion by blending that with your more professional side in such a public forum. – Drew McLellan, The McLellan Group
Keep professional and personal as separate as possible. Facebook makes this easy by allowing you to set up a Fan page. You can always use your profile as your personal page (be sure to restrict what non-friends can see). Set up a Fan page that clearly states who you are and what you do, and use that to build your personal brand. – David Mathison, BetheMedia.com
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to this wealth of career search insight!
Chris Perry, MBA is a Gen Y brand and marketing “generator,” a career search and personal branding expert and the founder of Career Rocketeer and Launchpad.
