Using Social Networking Sites With Confidence

Although social networking sites offer many advantages to college students, they can also pose a threat to protecting an individual's privacy online. Since college students are frequent users of social networking sites like Facebook as a way of keeping up with their friends, they may not consider that some day employers and graduate schools may be looking at their site as a way to screen their candidates. For this reason I decided to post things to watch out for when posting information online and the importance of monitoring what your friends post that may end up on your site.

Recommendations for protecting your privacy online:

Check your profile settings.

You may choose to limit access to those who are allowed to view your entire profile. This will maintain a sense of control over the information employers might access online.

How personal is too personal.

Even though your personal information posted on the internet may be irrelevant to your internship or job search, employers accessing your Facebook account could develop preconceived ideas about you based on the information that's posted online.

Use pictures wisely.

If you want to include pictures on your social networking site (and most people do) avoid pictures depicting partying and alcohol or any other discriminating behaviors.

Be sure to include your accomplishments, knowledge and skills on your site.

Use your site to build on your personal attributes and accomplishments. Include things such as: internships, volunteer experiences, sports, honors, specific skills (foreign languages, art, music). Anything that promotes your interests, especially if they relate to your internship search, should be included on the site as well.

Make an Informed Decision.

Even if you’ve already started an internship or job be mindful of what and how much information you continue to post online. You still want to create a professional image for employers and co-workers so it's important to be vigilant and continually monitor your account to ensure it makes a favorable impression.

These tips can help you to get the most advantages of using social media sites while limiting some of the downside that can be caused by posting personal information online. According to Alison Rosenblum, co-owner of Strategic Resources in Albany, NY, “If a recruiter comes across your profile, there’s a risk they’ll judge you based on information that’s not relevant to your job”. She also went on to say, “it shouldn’t be relevant, but it is”. That's why it's important to use social networking sites to your avantage by making sure that the information that employers see depicts you in a favorable manner.