Dear Editor,

Quite recently, thousands of graduates from our universities would have received their final results and letters, heralding their achievements. For some, the degree may have been a quiet accomplishment, as they may choose to remain in their current jobs for the foreseeable future. For others, the degree may have been regarded as a passport to that dream job or place of higher learning or whatever the heart desires.

Going by statistics, and everyday realities, the number of graduates at any given time far exceeds the number of jobs available. While we continue to grapple with that harsh bit, another has come upon us. It is the reality that many of our graduates are bent on sabotaging their own job-hunting efforts through (mis) use of social networking sites of which there are dozens!

It is known that job-hunting is a full-time job. Among numerous other efforts, there’s the tailoring of each résumé and cover letter to fit each job description (backed up by STAR – Situation, Task, Action, Result); the creative development of a professional business card (templates and stationery abound); networking, networking, networking; building dozens of online profiles in prospective organisations’ databases; building professional profiles/résumé on professional networking sites. Whew! These are time-consuming, often tedious activities. And, some who do this may also be caregivers to children, ageing loved ones or a person with a disability and it is that much harder. All this is outside the mental, emotional and psychological turmoil that the seemingly never-ending job-hunt takes one through. But that’s another story.

So, why would someone, having put out all that effort, maintain a Facebook account that paints them as someone the company would rather not hire? True, what a person does on his own time is totally his prerogative. After all, it isn’t all about work and no play. However, we do make choices and should be prepared for what may ensue.

Who is that person being portrayed on such social networking sites? Persons seeking employment would do well to understand that many prospective employers are not only reviewing résumé these days. As part of their weeding out (yes, weeding out) process, they also visit these sites to check out candidates’ profiles.

What does the online profile and possible shenanigans, if the privacy settings aren’t up to scratch, say about the candidate? While it might not give rise to questions about the candidates’ claim to a competency such as relationship-building, how does the claim to good judgement transition offline into competitive leverage, when there’s a stark image of the candidate, thong over face, smooching her BF? How?

For those already employed and are mindful of moving up, it’s also something to consider. Horror stories abound about folks who’ve made comments about their bosses et al, only for these comments to be (legally) used against them.

This is just a gentle reminder to those concerned: Before you post, ponder.

Claudia Williams

mscdubya@gmail.com