For Millennials, resumes extend well beyond the traditional
In today’s world, too often we hear about someone losing a job offer due to objectionable content turning up on Facebook or elsewhere on the web. In the blink of an eye, prospective employers can dig up dirt on candidates from social networking sites, search engines, blogs and news sites. It’s amazing how frequently students and graduates neglect to consider what recruiters will use to select the best applicants. As noted by Alison Go of U.S. News & World Report (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/061208/8facebook.h tm), 40 percent of employers regularly use Facebook content to evaluate potential employees. So, although you’re eager to show the world that half-naked picture of your girlfriend, it’s best to consider an employer’s perspective and block potentially damaging content before submitting your resume. Here are four suggestions for avoiding the pitfalls of an illfated background check: 1) Search yourself and search again Leave no stone (or website) unturned. Use search engines to check the most obvious: YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Blogger, LiveJournal, and Flickr all have the potential to ruin your career, even before it gets off the ground. You can visit Alexa.com for a larger list of the most widely used websites. In addition to your full name, be sure to check for conjoined usernames. For example, “tomjones” yields different results than “Tom Jones”. Unfortunately, no matter how diligent you are at covering your tracks, sometimes sharing a name with someone else will get you into trouble. If you happen to share a name with a well known fugitive, we can only hope that employers will perform the right research to clear your name. Otherwise, John Walsh of America’s most wanted (http://www.amw.com/) might be the one conducting your next interview. 2) Don’t assume you’re in the clear I recently heard a great story about a friend of a friend who was offered a position at a prestigious daycare center in Washington
DC. After receiving her offer, this young graduate felt she had nothing to worry about. And then came the rejection notice. Although the true reason was never confirmed, it’s likely her employer glanced at her MySpace page before reconsidering. After all, when your social networking site lists your current occupation as: “MILF in training”, it’s going to be very difficult to find work at any daycare. 3) For second opinions, stick with Gen-Yers No matter how open and fun your potential employer might seem, don’t assume that you can get away with anything. Ask a friend to play the role of a recruiter—have them figure out what the Internet has to say about you. Better yet, use career counselors and current recruiters, especially those of Gen-Y. Although expert career resources might know how to draft resumes, some Boomers and Gen-Xers may potentially overlook objectionable content. 4) Err on the side of caution You never know what content an employer will find offensive. Period. When in doubt, block your public pages from view, at least temporarily. Given the competitiveness of the job market, recruiters are often looking for ways to differentiate prospective hires. Don’t give them the extra opportunity to strike your name off the list. For Millennials, it’s clear that a freshly minted resume is only the start. The new resume encompasses much more than a single sheet of paper. So cover your bases and discover any illicit content that reflects potentially damaging elements of yourself, before prospective employers do it for you.
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Sam is the founder and career consultant behind Razume. For personalized feedback and advice, visit Razume.com and blast your resume to sam@razume.com