The Arrival Guide

Job seekers, and jobholders for that matter, beware. The term “background check” has taken on a new meaning. “Many U.S. companies and recruiters are now looking at your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and other accounts and blogs – even YouTube – to paint a clearer picture of who you are,” reports Jennifer Waters of Dow Jones Newswires. That means that anything and everything that is published on the web can and will be held against you. With the job market as tough as it is, why let one misguided post significantly decrease your chances of attaining a good job? Monitoring what you post will help you pass those social media background checks.

The Federal Trade Commission ruled that a company that researches how you spend your free time and what your hobbies are is not invasion of privacy. A potential employer, or current boss, is able to legally use to evaluate whether or not that information makes you a good fit for the company. While scanning through pictures and friends’ comments is a good idea, the research shows that the primary area of concern is your status updates. Many agencies would look past harmless hobbies or personal activity, but racial comments and references to illegal activities raise red flags and would be reported to your current or potential employer.

The first thing to consider is to go through old posts and pictures, and remove anything that could be taken out of context or negatively affect someone’s opinion of you. The best thing to do is to make sure that you think before you post. Don’t let your anger at a political event or figure make it onto any social media site. Is it worth losing your job, or not being hired because of your 15 minutes of social media fame within your circle of friends?

Social media does not have to be just a potential negative, or something that you have to closely monitor. It can be a tool to show you in a positive light to friends, family and executives alike. Someone who shares events in their life, whether good or bad, with a positive outlook shows promise to a potential employer. Pictures depicting fun outings with family, or friendly, positive conversation threads with friends may make you stand out in a positive way when compared to people who recklessly post to their pages.

It is true that companies are hiring recruitment agencies to evaluate you through your social media pages. That does not have to be a negative concept or end badly for you. While viewing so many inappropriate posts and images, agencies will also see the one who remains positive or simply avoids controversial posts throughout their social media accounts. Why not maintain an appropriate image on social media and be that one?

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