Is Your Facebook Profile Employer-friendly?

Have you ever checked the results in Google Images if you type facebook drunk photos? Beware!!! It WILL shock you. I am not Nostradamus but I bet no recruiter will employ them if they see these pictures.

And if you think no recruiter will waste time looking up your facebook profile … Well, you are wrong. Due to the job sites and job aggregators the recruiters got more resumes per day than ever. Plus, most of them tend to pro-actively search for the best candidates. So, the odds are they will read a lot of very similar CVs. To rule out inappropriate candidates they WILL check out the candidates' social profiles. Honestly, would you hire any of those who appear in the above mentioned search result? I doubt it.

Clean up your FB profile

Image from: au.news.yahoo.com

So, the very least you can and SHOULD do is to clean up your facebook profile. And I do not mean only the pictures but the comments and posts as well. Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words, but an inappropriate comment can also be enough to ruin your chances. It is a tedious work, but it is worth the effort. Of course, you can simply keep your profile private. It will help you to avoid being 'red flagged' BUT it might give the impression that you are hiding something. So take the time to check your facebook profile AND I'd suggest to take control over your timeline and tags about you. You can remove a tag (the photo remains online but it won't be linked to your profile), block the owner of the post, decide if a post you are tagged in can or cannot appear on your timeline and you can even set the new stuff you are tagged in to require your approval before they appear on your timeline.

 

Boost your chances to Land a job with Facebook

If Facebook can ruin your chances why not avoid it altogether? Because if used wisely it can showcase your professional interest and your great personality in a way a resume simply cannot and it will increase your chances to stand out. Fine, but how?

Back up your resume

 

Image from: djcronin.blogspot.co.uk

Show how serious you are about your work. References are great, but proof of how serious you are about your work is priceless. Here are few examples how to back up your resume by highlighting your skills:

• Like the pages of professional associations you are a member of.
• Post pictures about work related events.
• Connect with people within the industry. Bond with them.
• Post interesting work related articles.
• Share your work related blog posts.

YOU as a human being

Image from: on-hands.com

Show your personal side. This will help you to bond with the recruiters. It is important to show that you are an upright citizen but it is even more essential to show your personal interests. It will make easier for them to remember YOU. Let me give a short checklist of things you can do: 

• Like the page of the charity or non-profit group you support.
• Post pictures about the healthy you. (sports you pursue, healthy recipies, etc) – After all, if you are healthy you will need less sick leave.
• Make sure to have posts and photos about your hobbies – It is always nice to see people who are passionate about their hobbies.

Oh, and one more thing: If you aren't employed at the moment than make sure either to post your resume or to link to your online resume (Here a few tips how to make creative CVs). 

You might also want to:

• make new professional connections
• engage in discussion with potential employers
• ask a friend to refer you for a job

How about you? Have you ever used facebook to advance your career? How?