Facebook or Linkedin can make or break a job candidate

Today I came across a news story on the website of the Daily Telegraph (telegraph.co.uk) that might be interesting to anyone looking for a job and even for everybody who currently has a job. It also confirms a feeling that most people who closely follow the selection and recruitment sector have. And it also confirms the results of some focus groups and surveys that we at Profacts have run among job seekers and recruitment professionals.

According to new figures released by Microsoft checking the profile on social network sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, has become as important as a CV or an interview. In this study HR managers at the top 100 companies in the US, the UK, Germany and France were surveyed and 70% of them admitted that they had already rejected job candidates because of the things they saw on the candidates’ publicly available online profile, such as drunken photographs, foul language and messages revealing a poor work attitude. However, on the positive side, these HR managers also said that a strong and impressive online profile could be an advantage to people looking for a job. Peter Cullen, of Microsoft, has put it this way: “Your online reputation is not something to be scared of, it’s something to be proactively managed. These days, it’s essential that web-users cultivate the kind of online reputation that they would want an employer to see.”

But even if you already have a job, the online profile on your favorite social network site might be something to actively manage. Farhan Yasin, of online recruitment network careerbuilder.co.uk, said that his research has found that 28% of employers had already fired employees for content found on their social networking profile. More specifically Mr. Yasin said: “A huge number of employers have taken action against staff for writing negative comments about the company or another employee on their social networking page. Social networking is a great way to make connections with job opportunities in 2010 and promote your personal brand across the internet. People really need to make sure they are using this resource to their advantage, by conveying a professional image.”