In the past, when you applied for a job, you more than likely had
to agree to undergo a background check. This was to see if you had any type of
trouble with the law other than the one you admitted to on your application.
However, times have changed and there is a new background check that employers
use. This one is less expensive and is easy to sign up for--it's called social media.
As a consumer, the technology boom has
brought many unique and satisfying tools for communication into our lives, the
fact that we can connect with friends and loved ones quite a distance away is
still amazing, no matter how old it gets. But with every pro, there is a con.
In this instance, the con of social media is it is your social resume. We have
our professional ones that we upload or hand in, but social media is one we
don't look at as a resume but in fact it very much is.
Social media is the resume that employers
of today are interested in seeing. It's not that your professional one is not
good enough, but social media really tells who you are as a person and how you
conduct yourself when you are off the clock. While you are off the clock, you
are free to do whatever you want. But, keep in mind if you are working for a
big corporation or the government, it would be wise not to post anything
offensive or tweet anything that you will regret later on down the line. Before
you press that enter or send button, you should ask yourself that question.
We have to keep in mind that it is a
hiring manager's job to find the best candidate to get the job done as well as
represent the image of the company in the most respectful way. While you may
have graduated with top honors and be tailor made for a specific position, what
may be holding you back are the questionable things you post on your socialmedia account. What people don't realize is no one would know if you don't post
it. You have the option of just keeping it to yourself or among friends, but in
the "ME" generation we feel we should broadcast our every move.
It is the responsibility of all
participants of social media to be cognizant of what they are putting out there
for the world to see. This is especially true for high school and college
students. Our future is still ahead of us and we want to give ourselves the
best chance to succeed and not be held back by some dumb decision. That
decision could affect us for a very long time and keep us from achieving a lot
great things.