TO HR People: do you search Myspace pages, etc.?

[thedave]

Recently, my brother showed his Myspace page to my mom, and it had some kind of slang curseword, etc., and my anal mom said, "You know, they search for stuff like that when you're applying for jobs!!"

Should I worry? And make my OWN Myspace page more appropriate?

[SpaceMonkey]

I am not an "HR person," but in my previous jobs, I was actively involved in the process of finding my replacement. I definitely searched MySpace, The Facebook, googled people, etc. I never found anything that I felt like I needed to show the hiring manager, but if I had found something clearly inappropriate, I'm sure I would have.

[TinyDancer]

I hear that some companies do. . . my company does not.

[CityGal]

My company does. Several co-workers have informed me that they found applicants' myspace page. IMO, you should totally be careful what you put out in the web because everyone is bound to find it.

[winneythepooh7]

I don't, but maybe I should start. It would probably save me a whole lotta aggravation in the hiring process.

[Winter Storm]

What I'd suggest if you are job hunting and you're on Myspace is to either

1) make you're profile private
2) don't give out the same email address registered for Myspace to employers
3) don't use your real name

Honestly, if you change your email address and name, it makes it nearly impossible for someone to find you that doesn't already know how to get to the page.

[winneythepooh7]

Also keep in mind that anything about you on websites and such can be googled by anyone. I had my landlord, prior to moving into my apartment, google me. She came across my work website which had a little personal bio about me. On it, it mentioned that I had 2 cats. My fiance and I had only told her I had a dog. I had to come clean. I still got the apartment, but I had to pay extra pet security.

I've also taken the link to my Myspace off this site due to the freakazoids we've had on here in the past who have sent threatening messages. You never know who you are dealing with out there. Keep in mind that the internet is not as anonymous as we think. People who know me could definitely figure out who I am on this site for example, by my screenname alone. A lot of people have a lot more personal information on their Myspace page.

[CTGirl]

When I worked in recruiting, I definitely checked these sorts of sites when I was hiring someone significant. We also did background checks on people as well. If you're applying for jobs with someone like the FBI, they'll do a whole lot more (like interview your neighbors) so really, it's a good idea to know what kind of dirt there is out there to be found on you, and try to minimize that as much as possible.

[pisces2473]

When I worked in recruiting, I definitely checked these sorts of sites when I was hiring someone significant. We also did background checks on people as well. If you're applying for jobs with someone like the FBI, they'll do a whole lot more (like interview your neighbors) so really, it's a good idea to know what kind of dirt there is out there to be found on you, and try to minimize that as much as possible.
It's also a good idea, if you're being interviewed for an FBI-type job, to let your neighbors know. My neighbor's son was going for an FBI job, and they called another neighbor, asking about the guy. My neighbor thought it was a practical joke and "played along" saying all this crazy stuff that was not true. The son didn't get the job. Ooops.

[shimma]

It's also a good idea, if you're being interviewed for an FBI-type job, to let your neighbors know. My neighbor's son was going for an FBI job, and they called another neighbor, asking about the guy. My neighbor thought it was a practical joke and "played along" saying all this crazy stuff that was not true. The son didn't get the job. Ooops.

Whoa, that's hardcore. The son could sue for that.

When I applied for a low-grade security clearance, my little brother told them something along the lines of I was a Neptunian drug dealer who morphs into a giant purple quid at the full moon... my application got scrapped, and I wasn't allowed into our clients' offices w/o an escort.

[wordsmith]

Doesn't this all fall under the "Don't be stupid" category?

If you don't want people to find detrimental stuff about you online don't put it there. Operate under the assumption that anything you put out there is fair game and public (because, well, it is). Don't PUT anything on the 'net that you'd need to be embarrassed about or worried about, and if you do, know you're doing so at your own risk, really. Seems simple enough.

[EmberMae]

My brother said you can't get hired at the FBI if you have a facebook. I don't know where he got that from, but it's interesting.

[shimma]

Doesn't this all fall under the "Don't be stupid" category?

If you don't want people to find detrimental stuff about you online don't put it there. Operate under the assumption that anything you put out there is fair game and public (because, well, it is). Don't PUT anything on the 'net that you'd need to be embarrassed about or worried about, and if you do, know you're doing so at your own risk, really. Seems simple enough.

When do most people show common sense? :evil:

[wordsmith]

My brother said you can't get hired at the FBI if you have a facebook. I don't know where he got that from, but it's interesting.


I also knew somebody who said you can't get into the Foreign Service if you've ever smoked up (and, yes, they do ask you, in addition to insanely comprehensive background checks in every conceivable area of you life).

Then one of my friends, who most assuredly has smoked up, got in.

[SmilesSoSweet]

I've heard of companies that do check. I think a week ago there was an article on cnn.com about a weatherman being fired because of an inappropriate photo on his myspace.

I also have my myspace page only viewable to friends, so that not everyone can see it. I think my page is appropriate, but then again I'm not one to put up anything inappropriate either.

[WorkInProgress]

It's also a good idea, if you're being interviewed for an FBI-type job, to let your neighbors know. My neighbor's son was going for an FBI job, and they called another neighbor, asking about the guy. My neighbor thought it was a practical joke and "played along" saying all this crazy stuff that was not true. The son didn't get the job. Ooops.

Oh yeah...always, always let someone know if they're going to be a reference (or ask if it's a regular pick your own reference kind of thing).

[playingbyheart]

Doesn't this all fall under the "Don't be stupid" category?

If you don't want people to find detrimental stuff about you online don't put it there. Operate under the assumption that anything you put out there is fair game and public (because, well, it is). Don't PUT anything on the 'net that you'd need to be embarrassed about or worried about, and if you do, know you're doing so at your own risk, really. Seems simple enough.


These days, everyone is bound to have something embaressing about them pop up online. Because my name is unique, it's easy to find a ton of stuff about me from the past 10 years of my life. I'm sure someone will one day not hire me because of everything I've blogged about and written online. But - quite frankly - I don't want to work for anyone who is not going to hire me based on how I live my personal life. My online existence is a big part of my personal life and employers have no right to judge based on what's online. Of course they will, but I hope they realize that my online life isn't the same as my professional life.

[wordsmith]

I don't know about that. I wouldn't go so far as to say that everyone has something embarrassing pop up online.

I put very little, if anything, that I consider personal online. Why would I? It's personal. If I put it online, it's for damned sure not something I consider private.

And things in your personal life will definitely be weighed by employers, because things in your non-work life can affect your work. Just how it goes.

[yankeeyosh]

I seriously wonder if the blacklisting that I know is going on with me is due to my last name being incredibly unusual.

[sondra_finchley]

Hey, at least your name isnt the same as a prominent 19th century philosopher whose ideas inspired one of the greatest mass murderers of the 20th century and wrecked a whole bunch of countries for a good long time.

AND ive got an odd first name.

[yankeeyosh]

Hey, at least your name isnt the same as a prominent 19th century philosopher whose ideas inspired one of the greatest mass murderers of the 20th century and wrecked a whole bunch of countries for a good long time.

AND ive got an odd first name.

Are you talking about Marx? Nope...my name is not Mark Marx :)

Besides, I don't think that hurt the Marx Brothers...

[beeblebrox]

I keep my profile private and made my full name unsearchable to just about everyone. I don't know if my company checks, but I found my recruiter's profile.

[playingbyheart]

I guess I'm just proud of who I am in my personal life and for the most part how that is represented online. Anyone can find just about all of my deepest darkest secrets online if they care to look. I don't mind, really. I've gotten a little more careful as of late -- I've been posting friends only entires on livejournal. But it would take a thousand years to go make all of my entries private for the past 5 years. I have a little counter on my site and sometimes I can tell when employers search for me. It concerns me a bit, but I haven't heard anything negative about my life online yet.