When you are not just a resume...

I’ve written quite a bit about bad resumes lately. But there is more to getting a job than having a good resume.

Most people understand that checking your educational credentials or even conducting a criminal background check and credit check are pretty standard steps in the interview process. But did you know that a growing number of employees are researching candidates online.

For example, I operate this blog; I share personal and professional information here, and it wouldn't be that difficult for someone to find it. But I doubt my current employer will have a problem with anything I've written here, and a perspective employer might double check my footwear in my interview; but other than that I’m pretty safe.

But consider the following:

Curious about the candidate, [The Recruiter] went to her page on Facebook. She found explicit photographs and commentary about the student's sexual escapades, drinking and pot smoking, including testimonials from friends. Among the pictures were shots of the young woman passed out after drinking.

… A recruiter had … rejected an applicant after searching the name of the student, a chemical engineering major, on Google. Among the things the recruiter found, she said, was this remark: "I like to blow things up."

...The executive found the candidate's Web page with this description of his interests: "smokin' blunts", shooting people and obsessive sex, all described in vivid slang.

See the New York Times' full article.

What may be surprising is that even though “shooting people” and “blowing things up” are very likely to be hyperbole, posturing (or maybe just really bad word choice??), it doesn’t matter to hiring managers. It is seen as immature and unprofessional. Obviously, talking about doing drugs and who-knows-what-else is pretty much guaranteed to lose you a job.

In short, if you don't want your Parents, Grandparents, or Boss to see it, it doesn't belong online!