Sanitising Social Media for Work

[PTR]

In a recent conversation with an employment agent, I was told to clean up my social media before a potential employer had a chance to search for me online.

The agent said that I was innocuous compared to other people, but anything that portrayed me as anything but a professional person should be deleted or edited.

Holiday and family photos were, within reason, okay, put I should thing twice about politically charged or even mild sexually explicit posts and also think twice about some funnies I forwarded from mates. Even if not explicitly stated, if employed I would indirectly be representing the company.

This was apparently not a direct go at me and was something the agency said to everyone.

That said, I was told the employer would probably do a search on potential employees' digital footprints.

Over the top or common sense?

Common sense - but instead of the above, you can do 2 things:

1 - Move work friends (or anyone who you don't want to see everything) to "acquaintances" instead of proper friends
2 - Make most of your posts to "Friends except acquaintances"

Then nobody other than your "real friends" can see any of your posts.

You can CHOOSE you post to all friends, or even to post publicly - but you can be nice and careful with how you use that.

There's even a tool that will go through all of your historic posts and set them to FeA too IIRC.

This is what I do. Pictures of me black out drunk to my real mates, pictures of me walking in the park to everyone.

Just set ya Facebook to PVT man and if employers asks just say you dont havea FB profile because its full of bellends and people posting photos of Kebabs as if they are fine cuisine

While they will obviously check, I doubt they'd ever ask about it in an interview.

 

[Some Random Guy]

Mine is set to friends only with very limited access.

and also just common sense. Howwver if they knew who I was on here and went through posts I'd be doomed

This.

 

[muggboots]

Yeah i have family down south and was nice to be able to share pics of the Bairns etc etc but now all i see is adverts, shite videos of people being wankers


And people sharing shit memes and pics of kebabs. i cringe everyime i see one of my lasses shit Status updates

I'm pleased you don't do owt like that on here.

 

[Spennymackem1981]

I'm pleased you don't do owt like that on here.

Wouldn't dream of it

 

[Roger]

In a recent conversation with an employment agent, I was told to clean up my social media before a potential employer had a chance to search for me online.

The agent said that I was innocuous compared to other people, but anything that portrayed me as anything but a professional person should be deleted or edited.

Holiday and family photos were, within reason, okay, put I should thing twice about politically charged or even mild sexually explicit posts and also think twice about some funnies I forwarded from mates. Even if not explicitly stated, if employed I would indirectly be representing the company.

This was apparently not a direct go at me and was something the agency said to everyone.

That said, I was told the employer would probably do a search on potential employees' digital footprints.

Over the top or common sense?

Probably common sense, but it will take a lot of years for your digital footprint to removed from all of the web archives/searches anyway even if you delete everything today.

It is also beginning to sound like anyone who has ever done a quiz with their facebook id is likely to have had their data harvested by Cambridge Analytica so likely they have details of all your posts/contacts/interests (although they seem to have friends up high that are allowing them time to delete anything that might incriminate them!)

It is quite alarming the amount of data you can get via an app/login that uses facebook, put all that together with your friends network and thousands of other facebook users and its very powerful data and data is always for sale.

 

[Daydream Believer]

there is nothing good about Facebook whatsoever possibly one of mankind's worse inventions along side the Nuclear Bomb and Bill Bear ham

It's a great tool when used sensibly.

Unfriend/block anyone/thing that doesn't fit what you want to use it for.
My running club & Jujitsu club both use Facebook as the central point for providing updates to their members. Most running events do the same.
I put all my training logs on there so I can look back for patterns if I lose form or get a repeat injury.
It makes organising get togethers a doddle.

 

[Epping]

This although you should also be aware that non friends can see which groups you are a member of and which organisations you follow. So if you follow your union page, The Morning Star, Militant Vegans United and Grindr fan page, I wont have to be your friend to see that.

good job I dont then.

 

[Daydream Believer]

While they will obviously check, I doubt they'd ever ask about it in an interview.

If the recruiter doesn't like the social media profile & can make up a shortlist of qualified applicants without that person there won't even be an interview.

 

[Hoon]

It doesn't, but it doesn't mean potential employers don't have a look.

I always check peoples Facebook and Twitter when interviewing them for a job, you'd be daft not too. They could someone who argues with celebrities on twitter or post minions quote memes on Facebook.

likewise.

 

[Hue Jorgan]

I am genuinely amazed at some of the things people are prepared to 'share' on facebook

my parameters for facebook are: if I am not prepared to go outside and shout it to the whole street its not suitable to post it

I hate facebook with a passion but alas you DO need to engage with the devil for business it appears

 

[cornish mackem]

Yeah but this is anonymous so it’s fine.


Surely LinkedIn is your professional profile. What you post on FB has got fuck all to do with any employer, unless you’re rubbishing the company.

Unless handsome Dan is posting then every one knows who you are

 

[HellsBells]

Probably common sense, but it will take a lot of years for your digital footprint to removed from all of the web archives/searches anyway even if you delete everything today.

It is also beginning to sound like anyone who has ever done a quiz with their facebook id is likely to have had their data harvested by Cambridge Analytica so likely they have details of all your posts/contacts/interests (although they seem to have friends up high that are allowing them time to delete anything that might incriminate them!)

It is quite alarming the amount of data you can get via an app/login that uses facebook, put all that together with your friends network and thousands of other facebook users and its very powerful data and data is always for sale.

Every time I use Facebook to log on to an app (I know I shouldn’t but it’s easy man!) it always says “this app will get access to...” and you can deselect stuff like your friends list, your posting history etc. Why do Airbnb need to know who my mates are anyway?

 

[cornish mackem]

I’ve recruited people in recent years and the first thing I do when I’m given their names is google them and have a butchers on Facebook.
I do know people in sensitive jobs who are on it that use a made up name “billicky bollox” was one lad and Facebook asked him to prove his name after about 5 yrs. if you are worried just use your mams maiden name until you get a new job and then change it back later on

 

[Pop]

Probably not a good idea to Join Britains First FB page tho mush

You'd have a hard job doing that.

 

[alisafc]

I can't get on my old employers portal now to look at the social media training we had to do but it was fairly strict. If you had it set to public you had to be very careful what you put on.

There was an incidence of someone getting sacked because of something they wrote on twitter that wasn't at all to do with work but sending all of "them" home, however they worked at HQ and their name was known to a lot of staff and it was assumed they we're still representing the company, rather than just being a shop assistant minion so not sure if it would be the same if a lesser person did it.

 

[pavarotti1980]

In a recent conversation with an employment agent, I was told to clean up my social media before a potential employer had a chance to search for me online.

The agent said that I was innocuous compared to other people, but anything that portrayed me as anything but a professional person should be deleted or edited.

Holiday and family photos were, within reason, okay, put I should thing twice about politically charged or even mild sexually explicit posts and also think twice about some funnies I forwarded from mates. Even if not explicitly stated, if employed I would indirectly be representing the company.

This was apparently not a direct go at me and was something the agency said to everyone.

That said, I was told the employer would probably do a search on potential employees' digital footprints.

Over the top or common sense?

I have just been looking at facebook for interviewees later in the week. Some photos have already clouded my decision making

 

[errant]

Howwver if they knew who I was on here and went through posts I'd be doomed

your career in the typing pool is doomed anyhoo...

 

[Deleted member 30853]

I’d hate an employer to check what’s posted on here. -"I'm sorry sir but you’re sacked”

“Why”

“Well it appears that you shower with your dog, shit in your wife’s knicker drawer and once karate chopped a seagull in half”

Snagging the young office secretary, Mighty Mackem, at the 2006 Christmas Office Party hasn't helped your cause either.

 

[Cypher]

been said more than once that your posts on here would get you into bother

If anyone is not going to employ a squirrel based on it's stream of consciousness on a football message but then I would think that says more about the potential employer tbh.

 

[errant]

I’d hate an employer to check what’s posted on here

And try explaining away what have you’ve got against mother theresa! the little shithouse...