Social Networking Sites and Your Career Chances

Kayla is a 38-year-old female who desires a career change. She wants to transition from a career in anthropology to a career in corporate America. Therefore, she has designed an impressive cover letter, a resume that would make coworkers jealous, and just purchased a conservative power suit. She is ready to sweep the streets and leave a lasting impression on the job interviewers. Yet, in spite of her motivation and impressive effort, she has only received emailed rejection letters. Why is the job market responding to Kayla's applications in such a way? Well, she has found it has a lot to do with her participation on social networking websites. She regrets posting information that was not meant for her future employers to see.

Yes, engaging with others on social networking sites can be fun and seen a bridge to decrease feelings of isolation. Yet, as jobseekers, it is critical to consider if the information posted can harm our future goals. To determine if it can lead to future disappointment, consider the following three questions: Would I feel uncomfortable if my future boss was to see the content of my online interactions? Is the information I am posting on the internet necessary to be shared in such a forum? Does the information I am posting conflict with the image of the companies where I would like to apply for employment? Keep in mind, once your information is on the internet...it is on the internet and often becomes the property of the online site. This brings forth the reality that you may believe you control who can see the information but this is not a complete truth. Finally, please note that many employers have persons on staff to explore online sites and content posted by applicants. Overall, give serious consideration to how you use the social networking sites and how this may affect your career search.