By now we have all heard about job recruiters using Google to search for ghosts in your closet. You know what I mean, in addition to credit and background checks, they search looking for your name and look for your myspace page, your facebook profile, your existence on hate websites, etc.
For the most part, I am all for this; the internet is public domain so if you put it something out there, accept it as yours.
As someone who has had to hire employees and locate tenants, I have held dozens of interviews and done my fair share of credit checks. My conclusion is that they just don't define character the way chat room fodder and social networking sites do. The latter provides a real world look into someone's character when they believe that no one else is watching.
In this little article I am going to offer up a handful of ways for you navigate through this trend because, well, it's not a trend. Search and Social Media are here for good and if you are in my camp, you believe that we're still in the infancy stages.
Some of my tips are ways to use social media to your advantage and some are pitfalls to watch out for. Take 'em or leave 'em, they are reality so apply as you see fit.
- Does FriendFeed or Twitter belong on your Resume?
Well, that all depends. If you have a strong following on these sites and the crowd relies on you for your expert insight, much like a Muhammed Saleem, then yes, by all means include your URLs. However, and this is ridiculously critical, do not send twitter messages during a phone interview! The time stamps will kill you (I know someone this happened to; he was twittering during an interview...). - How can I prove my knowledge?
If you are in a field that is even somewhat competitive, start differentiating yourself now. Start answering questions on Linked In or perhaps Yahoo! Answers and then promote your profile. If you are able to show some passion and thoughtful insight for a particular topic, you'll stand head and shoulders above the candidate that is not online.
Company processes are moving more online each day and the more you can show that you're not only educated but willing to creatively work in an online venue, the more valuable you are.
If you are passed simple "look at me" profiles and you have a decent blog, a successful facebook app, or something else 'good', then promote it. If your personal/hobby site is successful, you are immediately more interesting than the person that has nothing cooking on the internet. However, if your blog only has 4 RSS subscribers, is filled with profanity or contains naked pictures of some celebrity, resist the urge. Success is viewed favorably (obviously) while mediocrity and vulgarity is viewed negatively.
When I decide to look for a new job, you can gaurantee that I'll be telling the world about DLM (hint, hint). - Standardization (i.e. Keep the Story Straight)
Your resume and online presence should be the same all over the place. If you have a twitter profile, a Monster.com resume, a Careerbuilder resume, and a hard copy, they should all be relatively the same. Nothing says BS like different stories, dates, and accomplishments. - Keywords
These days, most resumes are scanned into some corporate recruiting database and assigned keywords. When a manager has a position to fill, keywords are searched for and the query results show all the resumes that match. The same is true for Linked In and similar sites.
In this case, you may deviate from standardization and use varying keywords on each site/database to see what sticks and what brings in the best response. Refine your approach based on the calls/emails you receive. You should choose keywords for your location, certifications, hobbies, job titles and skills (but don't use ultra-generic buzz words, especially in your resume's objective). - Aliases
We all like to be truthful. However, the fact remains that if you are using your real name for everything, you will be burned eventually. Professional sites deserve your real name because it can eventually help you. Gambler's Anonymous message boards, Stop Smoking Forums, your Digg profile, comments on blogs, and any other site that could be viewed as a time waster or otherwise have a possible negative connotation, deserves a pseudonym.
To really illustrate this, here is the del.icio.us page for a recent DLM article. On the right side you will see the user names of everyone that bookmarked this article. Some people chose to use their real names! Click on a name and you will see everything this person has ever bookmarked. Wouldn't it suck if there were porn sites and other shady pages listed?
Your name is your online fingerprint so touch things with caution. - I live in a Dump
I am not sure that I would call these last two social media, more technology in general. The advent of Google Street View and other mapping applications gives people an opportunity to zoom in on your neighborhood and in some cases your home. While I do not agree with this, some people may see a dilapidated neighborhood as a sign of weakness and/or failure. When putting your address on a resume, at least consider this point. Again, I am not crazy about it but it's a fact that we all have to deal with. - Calendars
2 years ago I wrote an article entitled, Death by Google Calender. It showed how bad guys could easily search public calendars and then rob you because you told them you'd be out at a card game (or otherwise not home). I was very specific and it was quite an episode as the article was picked up by Slashdot. I ultimately edited the article after the calendar owner emailed me indicating that they would switch their settings to private instead of public.
In any event, the same holds true here. See the irritatingly small image below? Do you see that button that says, "Search Public Calendars"? Well, what if the hiring manager tossed your name in there and found out how your really spent your weekends? Again, be smart.
At this point I think you catch my drift; be creative, smart, and use social media to the fullest. But - don't lambaste people on blogs or share personal details unless you want them shared and unless you are willing to take the heat.
How else can you use the internet and social networking to make yourself more appealing to hiring managers? Let us know in the comments.
- Jay White
