Jobseekers and Facebook

[sideout1212]

Originally Posted by Coco13

Employer's don't care what you were doing last Friday. They would care that you think that Obama's health care plan does(n't) do x y and z. It's so easy to set up a web presense that shows yourself in a positive light, I don't know why people wouldn't do it.

If you have something published then that I think most would care about. The fact that you blog about your thoughts on healthcare reform and whatever else are not going to help you any tiny little bit in my opinion. Blogging isn't going to help you get a job, even having something published is unlikely to help much for most positions. Either way, what you mention certainly won't harm your chances so there is no reason to not do it if you have the time/motivation, just don't be delusional and think it will help you land a job.

[sideout1212]

Originally Posted by JUICE

What happens if a prospective employer finds the WRONG faecbook/myspace profile online?? Often a university will have several ppl with the same names, often even with the same major. It's not like they're searching by SSN.... someone is making a judgment at some point to say "this must be the John Doe that sent us his resume."

For people with extremely common names, this doesn't seem like a worry as HR would expect multiple matches. But what about someone unlucky enough to have an uncommon name and some dope with the same name, major, and pics of himself in a field of ganja in Jamaica during SB06?!?

What hiring manager is going to that level of digging with more than just those that are being brought in for an interview? I would think for the most part any such digging is being done right before an offer is made, much like many have stated is done with reference checking.

[tscbill5]

Originally Posted by JUICE

What happens if a prospective employer finds the WRONG faecbook/myspace profile online?? Often a university will have several ppl with the same names, often even with the same major. It's not like they're searching by SSN.... someone is making a judgment at some point to say "this must be the John Doe that sent us his resume."

For people with extremely common names, this doesn't seem like a worry as HR would expect multiple matches. But what about someone unlucky enough to have an uncommon name and some dope with the same name, major, and pics of himself in a field of ganja in Jamaica during SB06?!?

Dig into your own name. If you encounter this situation then it'd be advisable to actively manage your online persona. Perhaps a linkedin profile that links to your facebook page so as to avoid any confusion.

[kamek85]

Forget your professional image, the real reason not to archive your personal information with Facebook is because, well, you're archiving your personal information with Facebook.

Your personal information is stored in a secure database and will never be shared with anyone.*

...

* Unless they ask.

** Or if someone says they are you and takes your cookies.

*** Or if the venture firm finds out it's profitable.

**** Or if unhappy employees release copies of your cookies to other online databases.

***** Or if outsourced data centers sell illegal copies of your cookies to other sites.

****** Or if my parent corporation is acquired and my data including your cookies becomes part of a larger aggregate system without your knowledge or consent.

[Arthur Kade]

Originally Posted by Dismal Science

Is it a common practice to search for applicants online to see what turns up? Does HR commonly engage in such practices?

When I was offerred my current job, there were several hits from the IP address of my employer on various websites/blogs that have my name linked to it. Clearly they did fairly extensive google searching for me.

[kamek85]

Originally Posted by Arthur Kade

When I was offerred my current job, there were several hits from the IP address of my employer on various websites/blogs that have my name linked to it. Clearly they did fairly extensive google searching for me.

...which makes me think these "background checks" are only rudimentary since (1) the company can't even manage to cover its own tracks by using a proxy, and (2) it's fairly easy to game search engines into burying the lede if you do have skeletons, rendering them rather useless as scavengers of personal information.

[jemster]

I read that same article today so I googled my name to see what came up. My name isn't at all common but yet about four or five myspace/twitter pages came up and they were all slutty (and had nothing to do with me - just other "name twins" who liked playboy, pornography, drugs, etc). Should I be concerned that a handful of people with my same name are going to confuse potential employer's into believing that I am one of these people?

[FormLetter]

Originally Posted by jemster

I read that same article today so I googled my name to see what came up. My name isn't at all common but yet about four or five myspace/twitter pages came up and they were all slutty (and had nothing to do with me - just other "name twins" who liked playboy, pornography, drugs, etc). Should I be concerned that a handful of people with my same name are going to confuse potential employer's into believing that I am one of these people?

You're hired.

[kamek85]

Originally Posted by jemster

I read that same article today so I googled my name to see what came up. My name isn't at all common but yet about four or five myspace/twitter pages came up and they were all slutty (and had nothing to do with me - just other "name twins" who liked playboy, pornography, drugs, etc). Should I be concerned that a handful of people with my same name are going to confuse potential employer's into believing that I am one of these people?

If your future employer can't discern between actuaries and sluts due to its own technological incompetence, you probably don't want to be working for them anyway.

[sideout1212]

Originally Posted by kamek85

If your future employer can't discern between actuaries and sluts due to its own technological incompetence, you probably don't want to be working for them anyway.

That is funny. And who says hiring actuaries don't like sluts?