5 things you MUST scrub off your Facebook profile if you’re job hunting
The hiring process is very time-consuming and expensive for businesses, and many companies are increasingly seeking out unconventional but easily available sources of information when screening and researching job candidates. In an effort to make sure they hire someone who is responsible and conscientious, there have been several reports of human resources and hiring managers combing over publically accessible details that have been published as part of applicants’ Facebook profiles. Here are 5 steps to rapidly clean up your Facebook profile to give it a more professional image (and to limit what’s available for perusal), in case a hiring company comes snooping.
1.) Delete status updates that bash your current or a past employer, were posted while on the job (when you probably should have been working), or are admissions of poor job performance.
You don’t appreciate having private issues broadcast to the world, and neither do employers. Openly bashing an employer through a status update or post (even if you feel it’s justified) will indicate that you’re unable to proactively handle and resolve conflicts. Status updates such as “Bored at work,” or “Been checking sports scores all night at work – is it time to go home yet?” likewise aren’t going to score you many points with an HR rep.
2.) Remove or untag yourself from incriminating, suggestive, and embarrassing photographs.
Any picture in which you are engaging in an illegal activity should be the first to go. Also cut any sexually suggestive poses and pictures in which you’re making obscene gestures. If you’re worried you might upset friends by untagging yourself, send them a quick message to explain the situation prior to banishing the spicy material from your profile.
3.) “Unlike” things that could raise eyebrows.
Giving a thumbs-up to your favorite blogs, local attractions, sports teams, and restaurants is just fine; having a “like list” composed mainly of dirty humor websites, alcohol and tobacco products, and bars or clubs may not be as well received by a hiring manager looking for a mature and reliable employee.
4.) Adjust your privacy settings.
Log into your account. Click the down arrow next to “Home” in the upper-right corner of the screen. A dropdown menu should appear. Click “Privacy Settings.” Adjust the various settings to the most limiting levels you can. The “How You Connect” section controls who can look up your profile and “who can see Wall posts by others on your profile.” The “Limit the Audience for Past Posts” section gives you the option to make privacy changes to all your past posts, rather than having to sort through and modify them one at a time. Before making a new post, be sure to click the “Custom” icon on the post window and review the settings “to manage who can see and comment on posts you share.”
5.) Review applications and website access selections.
Understand that by adding applications to your Facebook account, you are allowing those applications to access and potentially share (intentionally or not) your personal information. Go to “Privacy Settings” as listed above, and then go to the “Apps and Websites” section. Click the “Edit Settings” button for “Apps You Use,” and then click the “edit” link for each app. When given the option, adjust permissions to help limit access. Remove any apps you don’t use any more, as those apps are still using your information and data while you are getting nothing in return. Also in the “Apps and Websites” section, click the “Edit Settings” button for “Public Search”; if you don’t want people to be able to see some of your profile information by searching for you using a search engine, make sure the “Enable public search” box is NOT checked.
By taking these quick actions, you can help lessen the risk that a hiring company will uncover something on your Facebook account that would cause them to remove you from consideration. Photo Credit: crossfirecw