799 friends on facebook – Wow! Sounds sort of like an accomplishment doesn’t it?
But, who do you really know out of those 799 people? Guess who is reading the resume you just submitted to that huge advertising firm you really want a job with? Remember Ryan, that older guy from high school? Ryan has you on facebook (you never spoke in high school besides that one time you accidentally walked into him) and he is now searching your profile and notices all the party pictures, that not so friendly page you “liked”, and your recent status update of having a few double caesers on your lunch break. Now flash-forward to the recycling bin – your resume is in it. Who knew that Mr. Ryan would be the person who received your resume? Think about that every time you apply for a job. The people you added on facebook, and never think about could be your next boss, or friend of your next boss!
As a Gen-Yer I am very active on the social media platforms. How can I not be? It’s part of what my generation does. I go on my laptop and iPhone more than I watch TV. I check facebook more than I check my mailbox. I update my facebook more than I update my closet. I have found out some of the most intimate details from some of my “friends”, or should I say “acquaintances”, on facebook just by their photos and statuses. Who had a baby, who got married, etc.
It’s very easy for me to assume that everyone in my generation is partaking is some form of social media. If my Gen-Z nieces and my Baby Boomer mother is, then you better believe that all the Gen-Yer’s sure are! Which is where I get confused. Why are Gen-Yer’s, fresh out of university and looking for that career job, posting party pictures and joining controversial online groups? Does my tech savvy generation have no clue how easy it is to Google someone? All a future employer needs is your name and POOF! Your entire online life is at their fingertips.
Sure, I have pictures I wouldn’t want seen by my employers, but guess what? I know my way around privacy settings. And let’s not forget about your friends’ privacy settings. Are they open? If so, it may be time to do an audit of their party photos which you’ve been tagged in. A future employer could judge your character by the people you choose to friend with. And if it’s an absolute must for you to add that racy picture or join that not so PC group, hide it from the ones that matter or could matter. Or, use the fail proof option of just-not-posting-it.
The simple fact of whether or not you get hired for that dream job, regardless of your experience, can be based on your facebook, Twitter, or blog. So watch out Gen-Y and all other generations for that matter. Technology has made employers smarter than you think, and it’s the very social platform you’re using that will be your demise.
Reprinted with permission mcnakblog.com
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