Is Your Virtual Demeanour Holding Back Your Occupational Possibilities?

"Networking nerd-style. by flosimage, on Flickr">

Author Resource: Andrey Smith. Personnel screening BS 7858 Article provided by - Published-Articles.com




Lots of job candidates are tripped up by the photos that they post on the internet. Almost everything posted on the web is viewable by anyone, even possible employers. Has what you have posted on the web hindered your career opportunities?

The facts speak for themselves. Over half of employers have shunned a possible employee after viewing their Facebook profile. While students are more mindful of this (almost half concerned that their Facebook details will change future occupational potential) plenty of people are clueless as to the affect that their virtual actions can have with their working life.

By posting intimate or harmful info about yourself on the web, using the same e-mail address for business e-mails as you do for your personal e-mail account, you can be followed around the internet and pinned back to you. A humiliating photo or a joke in bad taste may damage your job application or stop your application dead if an employer were to take a dislike to your virtual pages.

With the outburst in social networking, more people then ever are taking to the internet as a way of communicating and interacting with friends, and it makes anyone readily traceable with names, photos and personal information which can be used to track a person over the internet. While this is fantastic for catching up with old friends and colleagues, the damage which can be done is multiplied as the number of social networks you join increases. The more websites you join, the more of a chance there is that an employer will find you, and find something they object to. This could stop you getting not only the current job you are applying for, but any future jobs with the company or group.

Before you post about how you enjoy partying until the early hours of the morning, or that compromising photo of you from the night before, consider your privacy setup and who can be able see it. A simple way to check is to log out of the social network and then visit your profile. If you can see anything which you wouldn't show your parents, it's probably best to remove it or hide it from your profile. By doing this, you can make yourself look more favorable to employers and companies who look at the online profile of their candidates for each job.

By minimizing the amount of personal data, such as photos and posts you do, the less an employer will find out about you, and you can get one step ahead of anyone else with personal details including embarrassing photos and posts by keeping your business and personal e-mails separate. You could also opt out of putting your website, blog, page or profile on your CV or resume.

But just because you shouldn't post potentially damaging things doesn't mean you can't use these kinds of sites! If you are using social networks or web pages to promote the helpful, charitable or specialist work you do, then this can greatly boost your CV or resume and back up everything that you tell an employer. It can also create a good impression before you meet the business for the first time!

So whether you have a blog, social networking profile (Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, MySpace, Google Plus etc.) or just a webpage with your name or e-mail address on it, you should always be careful what you post and what is associated with you online. It could cost OR be of more value to you than you think!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: A freelance writer who meticulously structured and maintained blogs just for you:A LIFE SO FAR AWAYand my other blog:OFW: THIS IS MY LIFE AND STORY Thank you for your valuable time. Follow my business & writings and you'll find what life's meant to be.