Consider this:
An Argos worker was fired because he said that he ‘can’t wait to leave because it’s Sh**’ working for Argos.
A grocery chain in Ottawa fired several of its employees following negative comments on Facebook.
Even this:
Some Ontario schools have suspended their students after they found ‘offensive’ posts on Facebook about these schools!
What am I trying to say? You could lose your job or your school admission for something you write on social networking sites like Facebook. Seriously.
People are being penalized for what they are posting. Many are being denied jobs, dismissed from work and disciplined because of comments they have carelessly left lying around on social networking sites.
Why should you care?
Employers and hiring firms are increasingly using social networking websites like Facebook to check out potential employees and keep tabs on current employees. In the current social and political situation, you just cannot have anything working against you or diluting your prospects, least of all something like your Facebook profile.
Here are some ways in which you can protect your Facebook profile from the prying eyes of your boss.
Your Privacy setting:
A teacher in Charlotte, NC, was dismissed from work due to her profile on Facebook. Under her hobbies, she stated ‘drinking’ and ‘teaching chitlins in the Ghetto of Charlotte’. The teacher left her profile and her page open to public view. Keep in mind, this particular school is attended by minority students and is located in a low income neighborhood.
Who is viewing your profile at Facebook? Are you sure that these are people you have allowed access to?
If you go to the “Settings” page on Facebook and click on your ‘Profile’, you might see that more people than you have imagined are actually viewing what you have put up. You may have only a couple of friends, but what about your network?
If your profile is jam-packed with drunken quotes or if the pictures you posted are risqué, the first thing you do is limit access to the information. Make it viewable to friends only.
You do not want potential or current employers going through what you’ve put up. Because they do check you out.
According to various surveys and reports, a good percentage of employers are checking Facebook before, after or during the recruitment process.
You don’t want to lose your job just because you were a little careless with your Facebook profile, do you?
Your content:
According to onrec.com, the top ten turn-offs for employers who go through profiles on Facebook include:
- Indecent language, vulgar jokes, unacceptable pictures
- Any evidence of substance abuse
- Criminal activity
- Fanatical views
- Membership to silly groups
- Bad mouthing of former employers or places of work
Interestingly, prospective employers do not stop with checking out a candidate’s profile. They also use what you’ve posted to find out more about your communication skills, general attitude and qualifications. So, if you’re really not what you claim to be, chances are, you’ve left traces of your lies in your conversation with others.
When your profile is subject to such minute inspection, do you need more reason to clean up your profile?
You can give your profile a swanky new look easily:
Get rid of silly quotes, inane or extreme views and distancing yourself from bigoted or pointless memberships.
Don’t forget to add some of your favorite books in addition to music and films. Employers love it when you appear well-read and profound.
Check closely for typos. Do not go for too much internet lingo. These might seem unimportant to you but your potential employers appreciate it if you can write ‘You’ instead of ‘U’ and stop using internet short forms.
Next, go through your photos – every single one of ‘em. Untag those that you do not want. That way, anyone snooping around cannot find that picture of yours.
- Remove pictures that look unflattering.
- Get rid of those where you’re doing something you shouldn’t.
- In case your friends have put in unflattering comments, remove those pictures too.
Your network:
Who’s on it? If your colleagues are a part of your network, be careful. Your boss might be friends with one of your colleagues.
Your posts:
You cannot always limit the people who see what you are writing. So, it makes sense to post the right stuff. Meaning, you don’t really want to shout to half the world that you’re thinking of throwing a sick leave so you can party at your neighbor’s house!
It’s not enough that the content on your own network is good, you must also take care while posting on someone else’s wall. Don’t throw out comments that you don’t want to be associated with.
Even though you delete content, it could remain on servers and be available on search engines. When such information gets into the wrong hands, it can cause major hiccups in decisions regarding a job, an admission or a promotion.
WARNING: Never post while you’re at work. The time of your post is plain to see. Ask yourself this: what will happen if your boss finds out you were updating your account while you were supposed to be working?
Why should you be so careful? The Police, hiring agencies, companies and schools are monitoring profiles at Facebook, MySpace and other such sites to uncover ‘improper’ content. What you write is a window to your private world. It’s like maintaining an ongoing virtual diary. How’s that for a thought?
User naivete combined with security gaps can ultimately lead to serious irreparable damage to your life.
Resource box:
1) Facebook can ruin your life
2) Employee uses racial slur in Facebook profile: Can you fire her?
3) Personal branding in the age of Google
© 2009, Tiffany Odutoye (@virtualpartner). All rights reserved.