Look Around HR

We often hear of the bad sides of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Potential employers can search through your pictures and see your keg stand from last spring break or read inappropriate material on your wall.

There is a legal debate going on whether or not an employer can search these sites and disqualify you because of what they see. I’ll leave that debate for the lawyers, and move on to reality- which is employers are checking out these sites, as well as Google.

And that can be a good thing. You can use your page to sell yourself and look professional.

From baselinegmag.com:

“If you approach online profiles as a way to present your professional side to the world, then you have a great opportunity,” says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

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“Recruiters are taking a close look at those networks, since it’s like going through someone’s Rolodex,” Challenger says. In the past, he adds, proprietary databases were unique to a search firm, including information on larger networks, but these days, most rely on LinkedIn instead.

He notes, “They’re always swamping that site, because it allows them to search on very specific information. And as younger people move from MySpace and Facebook, it’s likely they’ll spend more time on places like LinkedIn.”

If I were advising someone in college whether it was a current student looking for an internship or a grad looking for their first job, I would let them know that they will be “Googled,” “Facebooked,” etc. And this applies to anyone in the professional world as well. If you do a quick search of yourself and don’t think it looks professional, make an effort to change it. Chances are the hiring manager won’t think it looks professional either.

These networking sites, along with blogs, can be a great opportunity for a prospective employee to find you. Take advantage of this and present a platform of yourself that you want to show off.

As most professionals know, Linkedin.com is a networking site for those professionals. I consider it Facebook for adults. Instead of friends, you have connections. Instead of writing on your wall, colleagues recommend you.

One thing I have noticed on LinkedIn, which I am relatively new too, is that there are those who just rack up the connections. Maybe they know 2,000 or 3,000 people- I don’t know, or maybe they just like looking really popular. There are these same types of people on Facebook who have thousands of friends- do they know them all? Maybe, maybe not…It’s interesting, you may grow up and things change a little, but not all that much.