How Social Media Can Kill Your Chances

Of Gaining Employment

Charmaine Thomas

Regional Human Resources Manager/Northern California

It amazes me how often I see individuals vent their feelings regarding their Managers, companies and fellow employers on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter. I just want to delete the post myself because not only am I looking at your post as well. 

If you've ignored career experts' advice to be careful about what you post on social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, this new survey may frighten you.

 In a survey of some 2,300 hiring managers, nearly 40 percent said they screen potential hires using social media, and many say they reject job applicants as a result of what they find, according to a new survey released.

The Internet offers companies the opportunity for potential hires—and much of it doesn't make for a good first impression. As social media continues to grow in popularity, however, the challenge for employers who are deciding what are deal breakers.

Here is what turned them off:

 • Candidate's provocative/inappropriate photos/comments - 49 percent

• Candidate drinking or using drugs - 45 percent

• Candidate had "poor communication skills" - 35 percent

• Candidate bad-mouthed a previous employer -- 33 percent

• Candidate made discriminatory comments related to race, gender or religion -- 28 percent

• Candidate lied about qualifications -- 22 percent

While companies have been cautious about turning to the Internet as a research tool, a recent CareerBuilder study found that two in five companies now use social-networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, FB -2.16%, Twitter to screen potential candidates. Most are looking to see that a candidate appears professional and will fit in with company culture, according to the survey, which polled 2,000 hiring managers and human-resources professionals. Be careful as to who can follow you on link up with you on such sites as Facebook. The golden rule should be do not Facebook Friend your co-workers. It can be a cause for concern.

These social-media background checks have given rise to a whole new host of deal breakers, career experts say. At one time, spelling and grammar mistakes on a résumé might have taken a candidate out of the running; now, recruiters are much more likely to forgive a typo than, say, trashing an employer on Facebook. First impressions are everything, but sometimes they creep up on you. As a job candidate, 86% of potential employers will look at your social profiles. Your fellow employees are checking you out ready to determine your employment status. Any employer who uses social media to research job candidates is probably used to stumbling upon such indiscretions by now.

Source-CareerBuilder, AOL.com