I’m hiring an intern, and boy is it fun! A huge part of the intern position I’m hiring is helping with social media and graphic design, so it only makes sense to me to Google the applicants. If you don’t have a strong online presence or profiles, you clearly don’t understand social media. That’s just the truth. Here’s what I’ve encountered.
- College Girl – Age 19 – Public Facebook profile with photos of beer and very low cut tops. Now, I understand what Facebook is for in college, but if you have those kinds of photos, lock it up, my friend. Two different incomplete LinkedIn profiles. If you’re too lazy to remember your password to the first one and create a second one, you’re not in this job pool. Resume tossed.
- College Grad Guy – Age 22 – Easily Googled. Has a humorous blog, a regularly updated Twitter, a beautifully written LinkedIn accoutn with recommendations included and a locked Facebook page with a professional looking headshot. I read his blog for a bit, and he’s a great writer. His Twitter posts are relevant and pithy. Definitely calling him for an interview.
Some might think googling applicants is an invasion of privacy. I disagree. I keep my Facebook profile private because I don’t want just anyone to see pictures of me with my friends and a glass of wine on New Year’s. I keep my LinkedIn up-to-date and I take care with how I write my Twitter posts knowing I’m extremely googlable.
So take heed, kids. I’m not the only one typing your name in quotes into a search engine. In this economy, you can’t be too careful.
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
google has basically guaranteed that i will never hold public office.
Good advice!
I just had a question: after reading your post I googled myself and the top hits were a Facebook page and a Twitter page, but they weren't mine. They belonged to somebody else with the same name. So how do you know you're looking at the right person's accounts? (Especially for twitter, when there's no identifying information like school affiliation or home town.)