6 to 20% of employers look up your social networking page
Do you like the privacy that comes with social networking on the internet? On Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Orkut, or BlogSpot, are you disclosing more information? Photos, college antics, weekend inclinations, extreme political beliefs, and more?
Closing social media accounts is a trend that is growing in popularity as graduates leave universities and prepare for their first job interviews. Cause: The Big Brother is observing. Job seekers are becoming more aware of everything they post online, including emails, which can be shared with anybody.
These are not wholly unfounded fears. Anecdotal evidence and certain HR reports discuss how corporate recruiters use the Internet to search for possible hires, have interns visit social networking sites to look up an applicant's profile, and use the Internet as an additional means of verifying references. This trend has many young people feeling uneasy and unsure of how to navigate a new world, especially in light of the growing user base on sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Orkut.
Professors and administrators at B-schools are starting to counsel students on keeping a professional online persona on blogs, personal websites, e-mail accounts, and social media platforms. Recruiters can access your groups even if they have password protection because they also have profiles.
A little over 70% of the 60 students surveyed by AfterCollege.com said they keep posting the same content every time, even though they know that employers may be looking. Approximately 20% of the 90 employers who have completed the survey so far say they look into new hires by browsing social media platforms. A significant 6% of employers claim that they have made the decision not to hire someone because of something they saw online, while 26% of employers gave no feedback in response to the same question.
In the words of AfterCollege.com's Roberto Angulo Pupils ought to be more worried than they are.
