Managing your online reputation
Social networks are great tools for keeping in touch with your friends and family, but did you know that recruiters use them too? With this in mind, we’ve looked at how you can manage your online reputation and use social networks to your advantage when searching for your graduate job.
Social networking sites such as Bebo, Facebook and MySpace have become the timewaster of choice for students and graduates up and down the land, and why not? They’re a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, organise events and share pictures and videos of the vomit-stained aftermath – as well as all that poking. However, while this might seem like a comfortable online environment in which to hang out with your pals, recruiters are making increasing use of these networks as a way of vetting their applicants. So how do you balance both?
Access all areas
It is estimated that around 1.5 billion people worldwide have access to the internet. Now it’s not very likely that many of them would be interested to see the pictures of your cousin Anne’s hen night, or care that you’ve joined the ‘we'll only pay for a state funeral for Thatcher if she's buried alive’ group on Facebook, but in theory they could find out all this and more.
"Who can access your data?"
A study last year showed that around 45 per cent of young people aged 18–24 had posted personal information on Facebook or MySpace – if you’re one of those 45 per cent, have you given any thought to who can access your data? Unless you’ve made the effort to change your privacy settings, your profile could be visible to any Tom, Dick or HR person and may even be searchable on google. Joining location networks on Facebook will also open up your profile to anyone on that network, not just your friends – as many Oxford students found to their chagrin when they were fined for ‘disorderly behaviour’ after posting pictures of their post-exam celebrations.
Screening on-screen
"If your profile is public, your future employer could have an insight into more than just your qualifications and work experience."
15 per cent of employers use social networks to screen candidates according to a recent survey, while a further 12 per cent stated that they intend to start doing so. That means that if your profile is public, your future employer could have an insight into more than just your qualifications and work experience. As such, the content you place online can have a big impact on your future. One former Argos employee discovered this to his peril earlier in the year, when he was dismissed for gross misconduct after starting a Facebook group titled ‘I work at Argos and can’t wait to leave because it’s s…’ well, you get the idea. This doesn’t mean that you need to trawl the net, removing every trace of your existence, just that you need to be savvy and ensure that your online persona portrays you at your best to employers.
Manage your net rep
The easiest way to do this is to separate your personal and professional online personas and actively manage your ‘net rep’. Think about what content you are happy for anyone to see and what you feel is best saved for people you already know. Pop your name into a search engine and see what comes up. Most social networks have a public listing that contains potted information from your profile and a link. This can be switched off by editing your privacy settings, and while you’re at it, why not switch your profile to friends only? That way, should some clued-up recruiter search on the site itself, they’ll only have access to the content that you want them to see – and not the photos of that time you got drunk and your mates sellotaped the contents of the living room to you before scrawling naughty things on your face.
"Separate your personal and professional online personas and actively manage your ‘net rep.’"
Don’t forget things like blogs, forum posts and other web 2.0 applications such as youtube. If you’ve ever posted anything under your real name then it could show up in a search, so if you’ve ranted about an organisation or expressed any views that are contrary to their policy, you could be shooting yourself in the foot. As such, it’s important to get this sorted before you start applying. Think about your email address too. If you’re still using something like sexyboy@hotmale.com you might want to think about setting up an alternative address for your applications – and don’t forget to ensure your voicemail message doesn’t just bellow 'wassuuuuuuup!’ before the beep.
Make the net work for you
Remember that the web isn’t just there to catch you out; it can also be your friend in the recruitment process. In fact 28 per cent of recruiters in one study said that the information they had found about a candidate online had positively influenced their decision making, and that they would not have employed them otherwise. Some of the big recruiters have started posting groups on social networks to make it easier for graduates to get in touch and find out about their organisations, which can be an excellent opportunity to network.
You can also use the internet to your advantage and highlight the skills and abilities that you think are most relevant to recruiters. There are several ‘professional’ social networks – sites such as LinkedIn, XING and Viadeo – designed for business networking that allow you to post your experience and qualifications and get in touch with professionals around the world. They have the advantage of being highly rated by search engines so often appear high up the list in an online search for your moniker. Along with these, you could also consider setting up your own website. This will demonstrate initiative and, if you do it right, could be a good way of showing off your creativity and communication skills, as well as presenting a suitably professional image. You can use this space to describe your achievements more fully that an application form will allow and really sell your skills.
The web is a valuable resource and one you can have fun with, just be wary and remember that it’s a public arena. That way, with luck, it’ll be a help rather than a hindrance when it comes to finding your perfect graduate career.
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