Preparing your online profile for employers

Posted Jun 10 2009 1:13 PM by the JobsBloggers

MeghanIn a phone interview during my last job hunt, an interviewer (not at Microsoft) asked me if I had a Facebook account. Since we weren’t meeting in person, he wanted to put a face with the name.

It made sense that he would want a visual, but my heart sunk when I thought about what he might see: “Am I holding a martini glass in my profile picture? Did I set my birthday party photos to private? Will he be able to access the outlandish comments friends post on my wall?”

You can imagine my relief when I found that I had indeed set my profile to private and my photo was a smiley (and alcohol-free) version of my face. But this experience got me thinking: How can job seekers prepare their social networking profiles for employers’ eyes?

1. Set your profile to private: The most obvious solution, changing your settings can block users who aren’t your friends from searching for you or seeing your profile. You can also limit which friends can see your profile, so if you happen to be connected with a potential employer, you’re able to restrict what they can and can’t see. Here’s more information on Facebook privacy and MySpace privacy.

2. Un-tag or remove inappropriate photos: Just because your college buddies love the snapshot of you riding a mechanical bull while double fisting red Solo cups does not mean an employer will be a fan of your debauchery. Remember the heat Obama’s speech writer took for his Hillary cutout photos? It’s a good idea to ask friends to avoid tagging you, and you can self-censor what you post. You can also block specific networks from seeing certain photo albums.

3. Avoid writing negatively about the employer: Anything you post online can and will be read by someone – whether it’s the employer or someone connected to the employer. The “Cisco fatty” is just one example of how you can ruin your chances of being hired by knocking an employer on the web.

4. Add apps and join groups selectively: The Commando Fridays group might have been a great inside joke with your former colleagues but it could have a potential employer raising an eyebrow at your application. On the other hand, joining a group created by an industry society could reflect positively. Click “join” wisely!

5. Create personal and professional profiles: Having one profile intended for friends and another for employers can be useful. For example, I only accept Facebook friend requests from people I know socially (whether that’s at work or outside of it). I use my LinkedIn account to connect with people I know professionally (some I’ve worked with closely, others I’ve only met once or twice at company meetings). Rejecting a friend request from a professional can be a little awkward, but sending a personal and polite message explaining why you’ve denied them will get you through.

With one out of five employers using social networking sites to learn about candidates, these are tips you’ll want to consider. Still, it’s good to keep in mind that employers aren’t out to get you on the web. They’re simply tapping into the wealth of online resources to get a better sense of who they might be working with. If you have some of your own profile preparation advice, please share on the comment board!

-Meghan

Work at Microsoft!

19 Comments

  • Tom said:

    i would no way give out my facebook account to anyone work related. its set to friends only. im happy to look silly!

  • Rob said:

    That is what Linked-In is for, not Facebook.

  • jobsblog said:

    I agree with you, Tom and Rob! I don't prefer to use Facebook professionally, but the network has grown so much that an employer can easily find your profile -- whether you like it or not! These are just a few ideas for keeping your online info in check :)

    Thanks for the feedback,

    Meghan

  • Sean P. Kearney said:

    Hmm interesting question. But then again, the flipside is if the recruiter is really good (I mean with a capital "R") they will already know my Facebook profile (or potential) and LinkedIn, Twitter, Friendfeed, potential blogs, websites, silly songs, podcasts...

    Honestly, you're applying to one of the biggest companies on the planet. They're going to ask, because although your public persona MAY NOT initially come into play, it may show up later.

    But then again, if the recruiter is REALLY doing their work, they'd know that already and it could be a good old fashioned honesty question :)

    I hold to the tips above. But here's my 2 cents (oh sorry, 3 cents after conversion to Canadian).

    Be yourself online. Holding back who you are, is well, it's just destroying part of yourself.

    But be aware that you will called out some day for your "past postings". It's always good if your employer can laugh or talk WITH you that be busy keeping the Legal Division running about.

    Just a thought.

    BTW, so I'm above board from here to the end of my postings. You can find me at

    Facebook: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Sean-Kearney/567047639?ref=mf">www.facebook.com/.../567047639</a>

    Twitter: <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/ye110wbeard">http://twitter.com/ye110wbeard</a>

    Blogging: <a target="_blank" href="http://ye110beard.spaces.live.com">ye110beard.spaces.live.com</a>

    Blogging again: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.energizedtech.com">http://www.energizedtech.com</a>

    Some silly FriendFeed thing: <a target="_blank" href="http://friendfeed.com/ye110wbeard">friendfeed.com/.../ye110wbeard</a>

    and Just so you know, I CAN'T SING but I did try

    <a target="_blank" href="http://landofsilly.mypodcast.com">landofsilly.mypodcast.com</a>

    So the next time I get asked, go ahead. That's me.

    Goofy, geeky, technical, honest, pretty nerdy.

    Sean

  • John said:

    I always check new employes on facebook, linkedin etc to "stalk" them a little.

  • hari babu said:

    good information, depending upon job profile keeping our profile in facebook works.

  • William jobs or business said:

    I am not sure what the facebook profile has to do with a job. Does a face book profile implicate that you are more web savvy or are more connected to the world with the social networking sites. Be careful while creating online profile and uploading your photos. This is a good article for job seekers to create a good profile.

  • Kathy said:

    Dear JobsBlog,

    I am a mid-career adult, and I am eager to work for Microsoft. Can I apply for a internship of Microsoft?

    Looking forward to your feedback. Thanks.

    Kathy

  • Becky said:

    I guess my only fear of a potential employer of seeing my Facebook, Myspace, or other personal websites is if they will exclude me because of it. But then, if you think about it why would you want to work for them? You are who you are, regardless if they see it on your personal websites before they hire you or if you are working there for them and they see it after they hire you. If you are not a fit for their team, group, or company, then you are not. A job isn't just about how well your skills are for it, but also how well your personality fits with the team. I would rather know ahead of time that I will not fit the team's personality then wasting my time working for them and finding it out later.

  • Deniz said:

    Exactly. I fully agree with Becky.

    I have hard time understanding people who try and try to get in to some job, whether they like it or not. I see people applying to positions/companies that they have absolutely no idea about. Only a few people I know ask questions to their potential employers about the job, about the position, when they are in an interview session.

    The result? Its bad. Unhappy employees, decreased efficiency...

    I wonder how MSFT deals with that issue.

  • jobsblog said:

    Hi Kathy – Our internships are available to current students. If you aren’t in school but are looking to get a taste of Microsoft, a contracting or vendor role may be a great place to start. Good luck!

    -gretchen

  • CLhandbook said:

    Facebook has become so popular that lots of people can't go on with their day without checking out their Facebook account. For job seekers, this article is indeed wise as we often forget about the possibility of having our Facebook accounts accessed by our employers or by people connected to the company we wish to apply to. It's a great thing indeed to have a separate account or just have it put on private so you can prevent yourself the embarrassment.

  • Deniz said:

    I used to work as a project manager in a software company. I've had opportunities to get involved with a couple of hiring situations. I checked Facebook and Twitter accounts of potential employees to have an idea about their personalities. In my opinion, these sites can tell so much more than a typical psych/personality evaluation questionnaire. Like, how those people collect information, how they share it or not, what is their attitude against their friends. It really doesn't matter if they love alcohol, or get involved in different types of -interesting activities-.

    A hiring process is a two-way negotiation. Getting the job should not be the only goal. I always question if I am fit for the job and work environment that I'm applying. If not, then there is no need for me to get the job. If I know that I am fit for it, then they can go ahead and check my Facebook. Do not forget, if you get the job, sooner or later your co-workers and employers will get to know you and learn if you love to ride a mechanical bull or not.

    What do you think?

  • Toby White-Beebe said:

    I fully agree with the fact that 'Hiding Your Profile' and setting your pictures to "Private" is a wise choice.

    During the 70's, I worked as a Recruiter for a Company that had come up with a new edge to Recruitment in favor of Employer's Interviewing time, Video taping brief 3 minute interviews with employee candidates.

    Then, based on the employer needs, they would edit and recompile a tape that could be viewed by the hiring manager, in our office, to allow them to 'meet' more prospective candidates, in a way shorter period of time. It sounded good to the employers, allowing them to pre-screen the applicants without the extra time involved. Once a more finalized group was chosen, a face-to-face was setup.

    WRONG: In a Court case by the State of California v. ( name withheld ), it was determined that this was allowing the Employers to "Discriminate" based on race and color of the applicants, and they were ordered to stop this procedure.

    I have to fully agree with that decision. Though I am in the non-minority group, there were times that I felt that I was more qualified than the chosen one, but lost due to 'quotas' having to be met at that time. It's sad, but true, minorites were chosen to meet EOE standards at the time, whether they were qualified or not.

    In my opinion, DO NOT allow them to ask that question. We all need jobs, but the truth is, those discriminating people are very active in the Decision Making World of today. Unseasoned newcomers into the business world, who may have been raised in a dicriminatory family or of European descent who do not know or abide by the rules and still hold the values of the Old World ways or of Asian decent who help their members in their communities first. I may sound biased or one sided vs. another, and I was raised in a very Liberal family, but had to fight and lose employment battles due to 'Standards' having to be fulfilled.

    Bottom Line: Make them do a Face-on-Face interview, but remember, "You only get one chance to make a first impression".

    With regards to Deniz's opinion above.. The sad fact is, employers are looking for a way to 'exclude' you from the potential candidate process. Commonly know ways; Background Check; Drug and/or Alcohol screening; and now "Credit Checks" to see what your FICO score is ( so that they can see if you pay your bills on time, how desperate you are for money, etc ) <-- The reason for the job ? I have personally had a Prospective Employer hang-up on me when I told him that my 2.1m credit score last year, was spiraling down the tubes due to the economic changes in late 2007, early 2008. They're looking for the best, for the cheapest, without any wage garnishments, etc to burden them with. The local news station did an artilce on that specific 'Credit Check' issue, ultimately, the employer will find another way to say 'You didn't get into the final round of the selection process'.

    Good Luck to All of You, it's a continous tough road.

  • Faryal Humayun said:

    Social networking has become a powerful tool for searching jobs, finding candidates, online marketing and so much more. With public profiles on LinkedIn, MySpace and FaceBook, recruiters can now have a greater insight to your personality. It is, therefore, advised to use such networking sites with care.

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