With over seven million Facebook accounts, "Facebook me" has become a common phrase and new verb heard among many of today's college students. Facebook, which refers to itself as "a social utility that connects you to the people around you," allows its members to upload photos and videos, publish notes, get the latest news from friends and more every day.
While this is a social Web site, there are some potential employers who use it as a part of the application process.
No longer is a resume and an interview the only information that employers request when deciding on whether or not to hire someone. By using Facebook, they are able to learn about the "you" that does not show in your portfolio and cover letter.
What at first was the practice of a few employers has seemingly become a growing trend that seems to be alarming some students and gaining the support of others.
"To an extent, I do feel that it is an invasion of privacy. However, some people do post too much information about themselves that can be potentially harmful to them," said Christopher Holiman, a sophomore film production major. Profiles of some students do contain proof of unlawful and provocative behaviors that, if seen by a potential employer, could hinder their chances of being hired.
In a recent interview with NBC, Steven Rothberg of collegerecruiter.com advised students to only post information on an online profile that they would feel at ease showing to their grandmother. He said that if students are uneasy about showing their grandmother their profile, then the content of the page should not be posted. "Any employer that is doing their job is going to do a background check on you," Rothberg said in the interview.
"I don't want a stranger trying to gain access to my profile because your personal life and your professional are totally separate and what you do in your personal life is your business, not an employer's," said Siddeeqah Hofler, a junior biology major.
University career service directors believe the opposite. They agree with many employers in that once something is posted on Facebook or MySpace, it becomes public domain that anyone, including employers, can access.
Campus officials at many universities across the nation have been working to raise awareness about this latest trend among employers. Some universities discuss the risks of online profiles at freshman orientation and in residence hall meetings, while other universities, namely, the University of New Mexico, all together banned social Web sites such as Facebook from the campus network.
For employers, these sites have become simply another piece of a candidate's complete profile. It may soon be added to the list of official hiring procedures along with credit, criminal background and reference checks. Potential hires might next be asked to provide the link to their online profile.
