Do your Facebook interests include blacking out, Mary J. and slam pigs? Are you passed out next to a box of Keystone, eyes glazed over, boot by your side, in all of your Facebook pictures? Would Googling your name bring up a YouTube video of that really bad decision you made freshman year?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you might want to consider what such internet exposure is doing for your chances at getting a job. After all, in the scheme of things, getting dinged from a job inflicts a lot more damage than getting dinged from your favorite Greek house.
We've all heard rumors that Facebook is used by employers in the hiring process. However, according to Brad Karsh, President of JobBound, these are not simply rumors.
"It is pretty common," Karsh said in a phone interview. "Based on evidence that I have seen, three out of four employers use Facebook."
JobBound is a company devoted to helping students get their first jobs. Before JobBound, Karsh worked for 15 years at the advertising agency Leo Burnett in Chicago, where in 2002 he was the Vice President and Director of Talent Acquisition. He has written the book, "Confessions of a Recruiting Director: The Insider's Guide to Landing Your First Job."
But how strict are the three out of four employers that Karsh describes? Will you be penalized for simply holding a drink in the picture?
"If you are 21 and have a picture of you holding a beer that's okay," Karsh said. "But if you talk about how you are drunk and high all the time and like to skip class, then that's a problem. Employers are making a huge investment in you if they decide to hire you."
Karsh, who has his own profile on Facebook, highlighted one particular job candidate who perished at the hands of Facebook.
"I checked out his Facebook profile," Karsh said. "His number one interest was 'smoking blunts with the homies.' His number two interest was 'busting caps in the whities.' His third interest included sexually assaulting someone."
Needless to say, these interests did not bode well for this student. "He did not get a job at my company," Karsh said.
To Karsh, the fact that this student was probably just kidding around did not make a difference. "He himself was white, so I am guessing he was joking around about 'busting caps in the whities,'" Karsh said. "But what did his interests say about his maturity and his professionalism?"
I guess this stands as a warning to all Facebook-jackers. You never know when you could ruin your friend's career opportunities.
For the common good of Dartmouth students, I decided to do a Facebook search on the Dartmouth network for terms which might endanger students.
Only one Dartmouth student had "blunts" as an interest on his Facebook profile, and that student was a freshman. Zero Dartmouth students listed "busting caps in the whities" as a Facebook interest, and only 14 Dartmouth students were in the group "Called out for boot and rallying." Considering the number of Dartmouth students who do boot and rally, it looks to me like many Dartmouth students have learned to play it safe on the Internet.
Katy Whisenhunt '09 is one student who has taken precautions against the dangers of employer Facebook searching. "I made everything as private as I could so people couldn't look at it," Whisenhunt said, "and I periodically go through my pictures and take off ones that I think might not be appropriate."
Facebook, however, is not the only online exposure. When asked if he Googled the names of job applicants, Karsh admitted openly that he did. "Sometimes students think it isn't really fair," Karsh said. Then he turned the question on me. "Did you Google me before this interview?" Of course I had.
"If you are going to work for me, you would Google me," Karsh said. "Let's say you wanted to work at our company and Googled me and saw that I believed in space aliens. Even if that had nothing to do with my professionalism, that would make you think differently about me, wouldn't it?"
Some employers, however, do not share the same viewpoint on the legitimacy of online researching. According to Zuniga, the office manager of the publishing company Fantagraphics, online researching approaches an area of questionable ethics. Zuniga, like Madonna or Cher, only goes by one name, even at his office.
"I personally haven't used Facebook or Google because it seems to cross a line," he said. "I kind of feel weird doing that. It's a gray area where you start to trespass into people's lives."
Despite Zuniga's concerns, students like Marcy Van Arnam '09 do not feel that employers are crossing a line. "I think by now most people know that Facebook is used by employers," Van Arnam said. "It is easy to use the privacy settings so I don't think there is an excuse for students to be shocked if employers look them up on Facebook."
In the end, the rules for keeping in the game are simple. "I tell students I don't care what you did in college, or what you took pictures of," Karsh said. "We were all in college once. Just don't post it on the World Wide Web."
