Your Facebook Page Might Help Or Hurt Your Chances At A New Job

Yes, it is YOUR page, but what you say on it could cost you a job. According to Forbes, Reppler commissioned a new survey of 300 employers to see how they use social networking like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. to determine the fate of a potential employee.

69% said they rejected a candidate because of their social networking. Of those, their reasons for rejection...

• 13% - Lied about their qualifications.
• 11% - Posted inappropriate photos.
• 11% - Posted inappropriate comments.
• 11% - Posted negative comments about previous employer.
• 11% - Demonstrated poor communication skills.
• 10% - Posted comments about personal drug use.
• 10% - Made discriminatory comments.
• 9% - Posted comments about personal alcohol use.
• 7% - Shared confidential information from previous employer.

On the other hand, almost the same number of employers (68%) said they hired people because of their social networking. Their reasons for hiring...

• 39% - Gave a positive impression of their personality and organizational fit.
• 36% - Profile verified their qualifications.
• 36% - Profile showed the candidate was creative.
• 34% - Candidate had good references posted by others.
• 33% - Showed good communication skills.
• 33% - Showed the candidate was well rounded.
• 24% - Candidate received awards and accolades.

Looking at these stats, you have a choice. You can either set your profile to private, or take a second and think about the image you portray online and make changes where necessary. For anyone in college and above, I highly suggest doing the latter.

via Forbes