Could Your Social Media Profiles Cost You a Job?

A new CareerBuilder survey of 2,300 hiring managers and human resource professionals shores up the warnings many experts give job-seekers about social media — namely, what you post could wind up costing you a position.

More than a third of companies report using social media as a screening tool for job candidates, and among those, another third say they’ve found information that caused them not to hire someone.

What were the turn-offs?

• About half said they were disturbed by finding provocative or inappropriate photos, or information about a candidate’s drug use or excessive drinking.
• About a third said social media profiles revealed poor communication skills or a history of bad-mouthing previous employers.
• About a quarter said they found discriminatory comments related to race, gender, or religion, or proof that a candidate was untruthful about his or her qualifications.

But it’s not all bad news. Handle your social media profiles properly and they could actually work in your favor — 29 percent of the hiring managers polled said something they found on such sites actually made them more likely to extend a job offer.

What gave them a warm fuzzy feeling?

• About half reported the job-seeker’s pages conveyed a professional image, supported his or her professional qualifications, and displayed a wide range of interests.
• A majority of hiring managers said a successful candidate’s profiles revealed great communication skills and a knack for creativity.
• A third were impressed to see others saying good things about the potential hire.

[PR Newswire]