Ed's pretty proud of his Facebook fan page. (Are you a fan? If you aren't, you should be....click here) But in a recent Whisper Job, applicants were asked to submit their resume and to include links to their current social network accounts. At first Ed was a bit shocked to see it. I mean, he's proud of his 300 plus Facebook fans, but he's not planning on adding the link to his resume any time soon. After the immediate shock wore off, he came to realize it's actually kind of genius to add it—putting your profile URLs somewhere on the application (maybe not your resume) kind of screams, "I've got nothing to hide." People are constantly warned to not post too much on their social network profiles because it doesn't matter how private you think it is, it's always searchable and people will find you if they try hard enough.
Ed mentioned it to a fellow editor who suggested maybe creating two profiles—one professional and one personal (with maybe a nickname to throw people off). What do you think—know anyone who's done that? And is it common that employers are asking for social networking links?
Ed's intrigued, but he's off to Facebook-stalk,
Ed
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While I do think the idea of including a Facebook URL with a job app is kind of strange, I disagree with the idea of having a personal profile and a professional profile. I think there are a few things that are more important. First of all, you should operate online assuming that anything you put out there can and will be seen by other people, presumably some people you don't want to see it. You can also tinker with your privacy settings so that only your close friends can see your drunk pics. My general rule of thumb on Facebook is to not post anything I wouldn't want my mom or a potential employer to see. Your online identity is really just an extension of your personality and offline identity.
During a magazine internship, I added editors I worked for as friends on myspace and facebook as a way to keep in touch post-internship. I don't put anything on my pages that I would be embarrassed by nor do I provide many details about myself. I only add people I know too. My mom is even in my top friends on myspace, so that helps me keep my guard up.
In some job interviews my friends have had, they were asked to pull up their pages. I see that as companies wanting to make sure you would be a professional representative. Even at my college, myspace and facebook presented some challenges for the student government candidates. (http://media.www.theorion.com/media/storage/paper889/news/2007/04/18/News/Candidates.Cut.Beer.Bong.Pic.Profanity.From.Online.Profiles-2847603.shtml)
Myspace and facebook are for social networking, that's what I'm going to use it for. Now that I'm living in NY, I left everyone I knew in CA. Myspace provides another avenue for us to see what's new and what's happening in each other's lives. I would have no problem with being ask to show my myspace and facebook pages. As Theodora said, it's an extension of who you are. And my pages show how obsessed I am with NYC and magazines.
Here's the link to the article:
Candidates cut beer bong pic, profanity from online profiles
I agree with theodora, and kept that standard ("what if my mom saw it?") on my Facebook profile while in school. While I now have pictures with drinks, I'm 21 and it's understandable if I have a margarita on vacation. I don't let it get excessive. However, lucky for me, the camera almost never catches me drunk (and if it does, I untag the evidence or ask friends to delete the photos).
I haven't heard of including it on a resume or in an application, although I know employers look. If it was sprung on me in an interview, they'd see the kind of person I am and the lack of incriminating evidence. I did have a friend who used her middle name instead of last while she was job hunting. Since landing a job, she's changed it back.
I think it's crazy NOT to maintain a public profile that's meant for bosses, coworkers, etc. to see. Not existing on Google is like being the "not pictured" girl in the senior yearbook.
Blog URL on a resume, yes. Facebook URL, no. If employers wanna search me cool, I'm not an idiot like other College kids that post drinking pictures (we're underage!). I have nothing to hide, after all I don't put too much info on my page. I don't understand why people do... :\
I firmly support the notion that the Internet is ripe for a person to craft their own image. It's the people who stay away from it -- and let aggregation sites dictate what the Internet reveals about them -- that are at risk.
So a Facebook profile is fair game, too. If anything, I vote for keeping your Facebook profile reasonable and taking advantage of thorough security settings to tailor what does/does not show up publicly with regard to channels you can't control -- your friends.
It's no coincidence that I link to my Facebook profile on my site, which in turn appears on my resume.
Always,
The Editorialiste. (The other Ed. on the 'Net)
http://editorialiste.blogspot.com/
P.S. -- I've posted on this topic as well on The Editorialiste.
I have a few friends who made fake profiles and professional ones, and it's worked for them. I understand not wanting your boss to see your profile. Even if you have all your settings on private their is always a way to see those pictures and even scandalous comments from friends. Besides, like all my other liberties, I do feel that I should be free to express myself and be myself on a social networking site with my friends without worrying about my boss seeing. So creating two profiles solves this problem. I love using facebook to share those racy spring break photos that we all have somewhere with all my friends, but not with my boss.
Though, as a side comment, I would like to add that I think it is ridiculous that editors want to check your profile as part of their decision-making process. What you do on your time is your business, and if you are the best candidate for the job then the fact that you have an embarrassing drunk photo of you on a bar in Maui shouldn't have anything to do with it. With great references who prove your are dependable, and clips that show how you shine, I don't think it's fair of editors to judge you on anything other than your ability to be the best at what you do.
I have removed images and edited pic descriptions and am more cautious about what I put on FB as I move into the freelancing world and try to find a job I will love. I thought about creating two seperate profiles, but I've decided to only get another profile for business purposes, and to use both profiles.
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