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Have you been Facebooked?
It's difficult to turn on the TV, read a magazine, or delve into your email these days without social networking getting a mention. And how many of us can resist logging on to check our Facebook, MySpace, or Bebo accounts when we get a spare moment?
It should come as no surprise then that social networks are having an impact on the world of jobseeking. But be a little wary...
Putting yourself out there
Because every man and his dog has a social networking profile these days - whether on one, or a number of sites - it shouldn't be too shocking to discover that employers have started logging on to check out prospective employees.
If your profile is available for the world to see, this could leave you in a bit of a sticky spot; especially if there are embarrassing photos and blush-worthy comments on your page. It's one thing to share entertaining anecdotes, choice words and mini-foibles with chums, but they're not necessarily the kind of first impression you'd want to make to potential employers. Your 'digital dirt' as it's known by some can send your CV to the recycle bin faster than you can click 'untag photo'...
Here are some simple do's and don'ts that might help:
DO:
- Make your profile private to 'friends only' if you're jobseeking
- If you have a 'wall' make sure to delete any comments that could be misconstrued or give a negative impression
- Ask your friends not to 'tag' you in photos or leave off the cuff messages for you while the job search is underway
- If you're part of a network or group, leave it for the duration of your job hunt - membership often means your profile is visible to everyone in the same network, whether you know them or not
- Search for pages or groups set up by potential employers
DON'T:
- Use a negative status or tagline on your profile
- Use less than savoury language on your own profile, or in messages that you might post on friends profiles, groups or forums
- State in your profile 'about me' section your love of partying every night or your disdain for going to work
- Make negative comments about your current place of work or colleagues anywhere on the site
- Post photos of yourself or others that you wouldn't want an employer to see
Of course, nothing relevant to your personal life should have an impact on your jobseeking activities, but erring on the side of caution will mean you have nothing to worry about.
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