Career advisers urge Facebook caution

June 16, 2009 – Word has been circulating around college campuses across the country that employers are checking prospective employees’ Facebook profiles before making hiring decisions.

Pictures of students drinking or partying could potentially damage their chances of gaining employment. Job search companies have admitted to routinely doing “Facebook checks” and reporting inappropriate photos of prospective employees, according to the IU Career Development Center.

So is there any truth to Facebook screening, or is it just there to scare college students?

Facebook could not be reached for comment on the issue, but the Career Development Center said employers use Facebook to judge candidates.

Nick Podsiadlik, assistant director of the IU Career Development Center and Arts and Sciences Services, said employers explicitly inform the center that they check prospective employees’ Facebook profiles before choosing to hire students.

When looking into hiring a student, companies will Google the individual’s name to see what comes up on the Internet, Podsiadlik said. Companies also have been creating their own Facebook accounts to search easily for employees.

Podsiadlik said students who come in for career services do not ask about the repercussions of having a Facebook profile and do not regard it as a serious issue.

“This is not an issue of legality,” Podsiadlik said. “This is an issue of the image of yourself that is reflected to potential employers.”

Podsiadlik said students should set their Facebook profiles to private or closed. He also recommended that students only post information on Facebook they are comfortable having released to the public.

“Remember, once it’s out there, it is in the public arena,” Podsiadlik said.