A recent study conducted by CareerBuilder should make you think twice before revealing too much about yourself on the virtual realm of social networks. Employers do search information on prospective employees by visiting their Facebook or MySpace profiles or just by googling their names.
22% of the responders admitted to use such practices, twice as much as in 2006. What’s worse for the employees, around 34% of the online researchers stated that this way they found enough info to dismiss the candidates. The top 9 ways to lose a future job includes the following
– incidents of drinking/drug use
– provocative photos or information
– poor communication skills
– badmouthed a previous company/employer
– lies about qualifications
– offensive statements about gender, race, religion, race, etc.
– use of an unprofessional screen name
– linked to criminal behavior
– shared confidential information from previous employers
So, start web-brushing those profiles clean. Or just make sure you remain anonymous.