I titled this post to focus on recruiting not politics...I'd like to see more candidates take the suggestions below (in case you don't feel like reading the article):

Use a Modified Name
Using a completely false name is against Facebook's terms of use, and accounts with questionable names are routinely deleted...so something like J.S. McCain is OK, while Little Old Ladys Killer (an actual Facebook listing) might be suspect. This strategy isn't foolproof—Rudy Giuliani's daughter's profile was found despite her use of a modified name—but it can throw people off the trail for a while.

Remember That Friends Are Liabilities
In the case of Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, a friend of his posted the now-notorious photo...so you may be reduced to asking your friends not to upload photos of you in compromising situations.

Be Careful What You Write on People's Walls
So while professing your—totally platonic! really!—love for your friend might seem like a good idea on a drunken Saturday night, just imagine the headlines during primary season.

Segregate Your Friends
But you wouldn't invite your boss to a kegger, so why would you let him see pictures of the one you attended last weekend? Privacy settings let you make lists of friends and allow each group to see different parts of your profile.

Understand Guilt by Association
But on Facebook, associations can make trouble for you—or, as the case may be, a close family member—later on. Giuliani's daughter, for example, joined the "Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack)" group. And try to avoid groups, such as "I Paint My Nails Like a Blind Parkinson's Patient," that may raise questions about your sensitivity years from now.

Again, let the kids have some fun and be a bit more understanding when you find a dubious picture or two on the net. Must their young adult lives always be structured to the opinions of recruiters and companies?

As a side note, using these suggestions would make Steven Rothberg very happy.

Views: 46

Comment

You need to be a member of RecruitingBlogs to add comments!

Join RecruitingBlogs

Subscribe

All the recruiting news you see here, delivered straight to your inbox.

Just enter your e-mail address below

Webinar

RecruitingBlogs on Twitter

© 2024   All Rights Reserved   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Service