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Sarah@FreeMyCV Blog

“[Your new employer] is now following you on Twitter...”

by Sarah 7. July 2009 06:40

Finding out that your new potential employer has become your latest stalker on Facebook might seem unlikely, but they really might be only one click away from discovering all of your juicy personal info. From finding out where you went boozing at the weekend to seeing that god-awful picture of you partying it up in Ibiza six years ago; these little snippets into your social life may well be accessible to your boss- or potential boss.

Let’s face it; we’ve all done it, right? You’ve spoken to someone on the phone at work so you decide to type their name into Facebook to see if anything comes up, or you’ve given yourself or your work colleagues a cheeky Google, to see what dirt the World Wide Web has on you. So if you do this kind of thing anyway, what’s to stop your new or current employer delving into the vast realms of social media to find out exactly what you’re like?

According to an article on The Guardian Online this week, it might be more likely than you think. In these times of applicant rich job hunting, employers are looking beyond your shiny CV and immaculate turnout at interview to ensure that they are employing the right candidate out of hundreds they may have lined up for one vacancy.

So with this in mind, why not take a look at your social networking trail, and see how favourable it is to the working world.

Twitter is bad because:

Unless you have protected your updates in the privacy settings, your tweets are visible to anyone who wishes to see them.

You don’t have to be following someone to be able to see their tweets- so tweets slating your job or your work colleagues, and tweets about how smashed you were at the weekend, probably shouldn’t appear on your Twitter page.

Use Twitter sensibly- remember you are broadcasting to a wide audience, wider than you probably think. So if there are things you don’t want people to know- simply don’t tweet about them!

Twitter is great because:

Twitter is a fantastic social media tool and is rapidly becoming an amazing way for people to connect, job seek, network, or simply find out the latest news and gossip, in real-time.

Using Twitter sensibly and utilising the power of communication that it offers is a great way to make contacts in the business world, share your views on topics important to you, and to even find that dream job.

Use Twitter to supplement your job search. AllTheTopBananas currently have a job tweet service online, where you can see the latest jobs from their site, by following one of their location or job specific accounts.

So, think about your tweets and think about how you can use Twitter to your advantage, it doesn’t have to scupper your job hunt- it could just help it!

Facebook is bad because:

Certain information is available publicly, so check your settings to see what first impression your Facebook description gives.

Always think about the trail! Even if you are not friends with your boss or potential employer, someone you know might be friends with someone else, who can see your wall posts to them, and somehow a circle forms that means your posts are not as private as you thought!

Most of us have had one of those nights where a pint or two has turned into a bit of a mad session of drunken mayhem, and you just know that it is these nights where you friends are snap, snap, snapping away with their cameras. Being tagged in pictures or having people post photo albums that can be publicly viewed may mean those horrendous drunken moments are on view for the world to see.

Facebook is great because:

Facebook is a great tool to stay in touch with your friends old and new. You can share pictures with your friends and chat to them without having to remember their email address.

Facebook can be more private than you probably realise. There are lots of privacy settings that you can tweak to protect your personal info, so why not have a browse and see exactly what you have on display.

So remember... this article is not meant to scare you off from the world of social media. You don’t have to go running back to the Stone Age and begin sending out carrier pigeons to connect with the world. Your online presence can greatly beneficial and may even help you to secure that dream job. You can use social media sites to connect with potential employers, you could use a blog to showcase your writing talent and passion for a subject, you can use Twitter to job search... the possibilities are endless. Just remember that while your tweeting or facebooking, your next employer just might be watching, so be careful what you share with the world!

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Tags: job search, twitter, facebook, social media and jobseeking, private info, employers using facebook, guardian online

Sarah@FreeMyCV Blog

“[Your new employer] is now following you on Twitter...”

Sarah@FreeMyCV On Twitter

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Sarah@FreeMyCV Blog

“[Your new employer] is now following you on Twitter...”

Sarah@FreeMyCV On Twitter

About the author

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