“Social Networks Can Kill Your Career”
By Dennis Stuempfle, CPC Palatine Technology Services, LLC

I’ve spent 20 years in technical recruiting specializing in placing electrical, software, and computer systems engineers. I’ve generally found this group to be among the most conservative in terms of whether to change jobs, go back to school, where they’ll live,  with which recruiters they’ll work, which companies they’ll consider etc.

This is why I’m amazed that engineers have thrown caution to the wind in terms of putting their personal information in the public domain by using job boards and by embracing social networking sites like facebook, twitter, and myspace.

It goes without saying that having your name, address, phone numbers and email addresses on the web is fraught with problems in terms of identity theft or even someone downloading and selling your information to telemarketers. Yet most engineers will post their resumes anyway.

But now there’s an even bigger problem.  What could happen to your career and job search as a result of using social networking sites like those mentioned? Sure there could be a small upside if used correctly. A good recruiter or potential employer might see your profile and like what s/he sees.

Linkedin is one site which might enhance your search if you’re cautious in the way you use the network updates portion of the site. Avoid saying something stupid or controversial in the network update portion, stick to using the “mini-resume” format, list education, and avoid mentioning membership in any organizations that might be considered even remotely controversial and you’ll be ok.

But what about the others? There was a time when people who were upset would simply call a friend. Now, they post, blog, or tweet. Baring your soul to your friends may be ok. But unless you have your profile marked as private, anyone including your boss, your bosses boss, strangers, and potential employers can see what you’re doing and what you’re saying.  It’s second nature for engineers to use technology and these sites but you have to use extreme caution regarding the content. Here are some ways you can bring grief upon yourself.

Publish a personal and maybe a controversial opinion on twitter; or mention how wasted you became at a party on facebook and a potential employer may just pass you by. And what’s worse is that you won’t even know it. No one is going to call you and say “I have your resume and was going to bring you in for an interview until I saw your posting on myspace”. Or getting “no job offer” after you thought you “aced” the interview. Will you ever get feedback to tell you that your twitter profile doomed you?

How would you think a photograph of yourself in a compromising position might be received by a potential (or your current) employer?  How about a goofy photo of yourself “pretending” to do a strip tease, or smoke a joint?  While your friends might be laughing at Mr or Miss Straight Lace letting some hair down, a stranger might not view it in the same “humorous” fashion.

Friends?  There are real friends and then there are facebook, myspace, and twitter friends. After a while users lose some control as the friends list grows. How many are real friends vs strangers? How many are doing things with which you would rather not be associated?  When your parents warned you about “guilt by association” and to “be careful of the friends you pick”, they had no idea how important that advice would become. Imagine that one of your “so called” friends decides to join a subversive group, or says something about your on their blog without your knowledge?

So what can you do?

First off, consider who is using the site. If it’s a site that’s obviously used my teenagers to let their hair down and gripe about their parents and the world, you may want to avoid it entirely.

If the site, like facebook, looks like a good place to connect with friends, consider limiting your connections to only friends and making your profile private.

Be careful about what you say and how you say it. Before posting to a blog or status update, think of the one person that you would not want to see what you have written and assume they will. Then decide if you still want to post that comment or opinion.

Use a stylish photo for your profile.  If you’re posting many photos of yourself and friends, like you might on myspace, consider how strangers might view the photos and ask yourself “Is this a photo that I would like to share with my boss or a potential employer?

A lot of this is common sense but I’ve found that in the fun filled world wide web, conventional wisdom seems to elude even the ultra conservative engineer.