Recent surveys are showing us that nearly 65 percent of prospective employers use Facebook to check out job applicants’ shared information, naturally affecting their recruitment decision. 42 percent of recruiters have apparently reconsidered an applicant (either positively or negatively) based on what a social profile revealed according to the same study.
Because you will most probably continue to use Facebook, pay attention to what you share about yourself.
Specifically hide the following from your prospective employer:
1. Cussing and fighting.
2. Comments that could be seen as racist, sexist, extremist, inappropriate or discriminatory in any way.
3. Photos of you wearing clothes you will never ever wear to work or showing too much skin.
4. Criticism of a former employer/partner/colleague.
5. Photos in which you are tagged that show you in an unfavorable light. You can change tagging settings so that only your friends can see the tag but remember, today’s Facebook friends can be tomorrow’s employers. And always remember, your friends’ circle of friends and acquaintances can easily have access to your photos too.
6. Distasteful comments from your friends.
7. Awkward Facebook apps that don’t represent you.
8. Embarrassing Facebook groups you joined just for fun a hundred years ago. Leave such groups immediately.
Here are some general privacy tips to learn and apply before you go job hunting:
1. Make sure you adjust the sharing option for each photo or photo album you create so that you only share with friends or a list within your friends.
2. Make sure your private basic info such as your religious and political views are seen only by friends or a list within them. It would be better if you don’t share such information altogether.
3. Make sure you adjust the sharing option for each status update so that you only share with friends or a list within your friends.
When you are done managing your privacy settings, go to your profile and view it as any of your friends or see what the outside world sees when they access your Facebook profile.
[This story has been edited from the source material.]
