Social Media Postings Can Cost You A Job

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be great in helping us keep up with friends and family. They can also be used by prospective employers to get an idea of what kind of person you are, what kind of life you lead and how you express yourself. Therefore, one must use caution when posting personal information lest it come back to bite you.

CareerBuilder.com conducted a survey to determine how social media can hurt or help a prospective job seeker.

More than two in five (43 percent) hiring managers who currently research candidates via social media said they have found information that has caused them not to hire a candidate, up 9 percentage points from last year. One in five hiring managers (19 percent) said they found something that has caused them to hire a candidate

via More Employers Finding Reasons Not to Hire Candidates on Social Media, Finds CareerBuilder Survey - CareerBuilder.

Here are the top reasons why employers would and would not hire a job candidate based on social media postings.

Top Reasons Why Not To Hire

Candidate posted provocative/inappropriate photos/info – 50 percent

There was info about candidate drinking or using drugs – 48 percent

Candidate bad mouthed previous employer – 33 percent

Top Reasons To Hire

Candidate conveyed a professional image – 57 percent

Got a good feel for candidate’s personality – 50 percent

Candidate was well-rounded, showed a wide range of interests – 50 percent

(CareerBuilder.com)

There are a number of other posting do's and don't's that might be worth a look if you use social media and are looking for a job.