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While students browse their friends’ profiles and compulsively edit their own, many do not consider all those alcohol photos, swear words and sexual references. No, this is not about Pepperdine regulating the behavior of students through Facebook stalking. This is about landing a career after graduation.
Some companies are starting to perform online background searches before hiring students and graduates. According to CareerBuilder.com, 26 percent of hiring managers say they have used Internet search engines like Google to research potential employees. More than 10 percent admit to using social networking sites to screen candidates.
Sylvia Reed, vice president of network sales at Telemundo/NBC, said it all depends on the industry and the position for which a student or graduate is applying.
“Students see it as a form of expressing themselves, but I think it could be giving strangers too much personal information,” she said. “Students need to be cautioned that while sites claim to be confidential, the Internet is not as private as one might think.”
This does not mean that college students need to grow up faster and quit partying, Reed said.
“College should be about having fun and exploration, but it should also be seen as a time to prepare for the real world,” she said.
A student with extracurricular activities and strong grades are generally viewed as well-rounded candidates for jobs, she added.
Brad Dudley, director of the Seaver Career Center, said there are smart ways to use social network sites such as Facebook.
“Online social networking sites are fun ways, and people are going to have profiles, but you should always consider what you choose to post,” Dudley said. “Don’t post too much personal information and don’t post things that a potential employer, or for that matter, a school official, might find questionable.”
Of course, “questionable” is in the eye of the beholder.
Peter Duby, a senior business major, said that he keeps his Facebook profile relatively clean and avoids pictures that involve drinking.
“Many times people automatically assume that you are irresponsible if you drink when you are in college, because of the reputation of college drinkers,” he said. Duby added that his previous profile included a lot of made-up information to make people laugh. “I realize more and more how employers are looking at our profiles to discover the ‘real you,’” he said.
Duby’s current profile picture is of himself wearing shorts and a green superhero cape.
“The only issue is…that my profile, along with other people, has humorous parts to it. A possible employer could see these and maybe not take the person seriously or think that they are unprofessional.”
A Pepperdine senior chose a photograph of himself hovering anxiously over an oversized glass of beer as his profile picture. His wall displays comments from friends commending his dedication to alcohol. Some of his photos show him jokingly grabbing at the bodies of his female friends.
Another senior has numerous quotes with sexual references on his profile.
“Many of these quotes may seem overtly sexual but if you know the context behind each of them, then you would think differently. I see nothing wrong with sexual quotes,” he explained. “I would hope that the person doing the hiring would understand that you cannot simply sum up a person and all of their experiences and viewpoints in 250 characters or less.”
Sheila Benko, career counselor at the Pepperdine Career Center, said students are becoming less concerned about how posting online affects their reputations and the feelings of others.
“Family vacation photos are one thing,” she said. “Photos of activities at the Friday night beer pong fest are another. Then there are all those who see the post and realize they were not even invited to the party,” she said.
However, having bitter acquaintances may seem inconsequential compared to being dismissed by a potential employer because of careless Facebook profile.
Submitted 03-01-2007
MALIBU, CA
