Does your profile picture send the right message?
Does your profile picture send the right message?
August 18, 2011
Sure, you might not care that your best friend’s brother’s roommate can see your Facebook profile, but what about the president of that company who is looking to hire you for that really cool summer internship? Do you care if he sees it? Well, you should!
More and more, employers are going online as part of the screening process for job applicants. They might read an article about a sports team you were part of in high school, or they may even find some photos of you on Facebook.
Although quick judgments may not be fair or accurate, everybody leaves a first impression. It used to be that you made that first impression when you walked in for the interview; however this may no longer be the case!
Those pictures of you hanging out with your friends, the blog you wrote while travelling in Germany last summer, the complaint you posted on your local newspaper’s Web site—good or bad, they’re all going to make an impression on someone who finds them.
An easy way to see what an employer might find out about you online is to Google yourself. I’m sure we’ve all done it, probably more than once, but you should make it a routine. Once a month, check to see if anything has been posted online about you that you didn’t know about. Depending on how common your name is, you may want to include your home town in the search to narrow it down.
Now, I’m not saying that having an online presence is a bad thing. In fact, being socially engaged and current can be seen as a huge plus for many positions. The key is to be aware of how you present yourself online and to monitor it regularly.
What new photos have you been tagged in on Facebook? Your tweets might be funny to your friends, but what would an employer think? Get in the habit of checking your online presence and thinking twice about what you say and do online. Even if you think you’ve deleted something, there usually always a trace.
Check out this great resource from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that provides some great tips on keeping your information private when using social media sites.