How Social Networking Can Impact Your Career

According to one study, Facebook may be a better indicator of what type of employee you might be than an IQ test. Perspective employers may be checking out your Facebook profile before deciding what type of candidate you might be for that desired job opening. So what might they be looking for?

• They are looking for a well-rounded individual; one who has hobbies and interests. Those who have interests outside their employment are better balanced emotionally.
• They are looking for a future employee who interacts well with others; who is curious, amenable, personable, and loyal.
• They are reading wall posts, likes and comments to determine the character of the writer.

The above items can be summed up as the Big 5; agreeableness, emotional stability, extraversion, openness to experience, and conscientiousness.

Watching your interactions on a social network allows for an unrehearsed glimpse of you.

It’s a great way for the perspective employer to get a candid, unvarnished look into your personality. When you’re at an interview you’re on your best behavior and may actually hide your true self. However, you’re much more honestly portrayed on a social network such as Facebook.

While not all perspective employers view your Facebook profile, many will.

You should take some cautionary steps when you log into your favorite social network to put your best foot forward. Consider that you may be screened. If you lied about things that are obviously untrue when verified on online, it is time to rethink some of your behavior. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are three social networks that are routinely screened by human resource teams.  Some steps you could take, if concerned about the type of image you portray online would be:

• Check your privacy settings. On Facebook, for example, you can edit your settings and increase the privacy level. Realize that this needs to be monitored frequently. If you signed up for Facebook as a social network to gain readership to your website, you may lose considerably by becoming more restrictive, so weigh your options carefully.
• Set up two accounts; one professional and one private if it’s that important to you to be “naughty” online.  Notify those who you want to let into the private world of how to contact you so they can find you.  But a word of warning, you still might get found out.  Your deepest secret may not be a secret any more if shared with even one person on a social network.
• Do not post a picture of yourself breaking any rules or laws. This seems like a no brainer, but it happens every day. Not all human resource teams advertise the fact that they are screening your page so don’t let your guard down, and you will not be tapped on the shoulder and walked out the door the day after your indiscretion.
• Be very, very careful in opinions or remarks you make about your employer on your blog or social networking site. Even comments you consider to be positive or neutral may conflict with an image your employer or perspective employer wants to project.

Do you agree with this overview on social networking dos and don’ts? Have you got any more tips and advice when it comes to what you reveal on social networks?