A word of caution to job seekers - you should be very careful what you say and post online.  Four out of five recruiters regularly run web searches to screen job applicants.  Potential employers and colleges may find your online profile and make judgment calls based on what they discover.  With all of the innovative websites popping up it’s getting easier than ever to screen students and candidates online.

A recruitment company ran a simple online Twitter search and easily found hundreds of examples of things people have said that could either get them fired or prevent them from being offered a job in the future. Here is a small sample (you can’t make up stuff like this):
• Tweet about failing your random drug test
• Tell everyone how much you hate your boss
• Ask your followers which disease you should fake to get off work early
• Admit to lying on your job application or resume
• Share that you got fired on your very first day at a new job

There is another side of the coin if you like to live on the edge. One employer did hire a candidate even after he checked out the candidate’s Facebook page and saw a picture of him at a party dressed in a bra and tutu. When it came up an interview the candidate handled it very well and eventually was hired.

So be careful what you post online, the technology to carry searches is in social media like Facebook and Twitter is getting more efficient. On the other hand some of the posts make for interesting interview discussion as long as you are prepared.

What’s in your Twitter?

This entry was posted on Friday, April 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm and is filed under