Posted by Corpcorp | 14, Feb, 2012
What exactly is Facebook Timeline? If you don’t already know, employers are increasingly turning to popular social network, Facebook, to recruit candidates. Timeline is a service that allows you to tell recruiters who you are. And with Facebook’s latest Timeline utility, job seekers have a whole new way to present themselves to recruiters. The static information in your profile will communicate where you are currently working, which school/university you attended, etc, much like a resume. You can choose to include life events and add pictures and graphics into your Facebook profile. The emphasis is on life events that portray whatever it is that you want recruiters to know about you.
As you may be using Facebook primarily to interact in an informal capacity, it is possible that you may not have updated your professional information. Timeline’s profile field highlights your job title and present employer. Ensure that your employment history is updated and that you present professional accomplishments impressively.
Go through the privacy settings carefully given the fact that Facebook changes its privacy options very quickly. As Timeline will make it quite easy to view your complete Facebook history, you wouldn’t want recruiters to come across embarrassing, politically incorrect or cheesy memoirs from the past on your Facebook wall. Update privacy options to ensure that such information can be viewed only by friends.
As this new Facebook profile emphasizes your Likes, choose them thoughtfully and check privacy options to see if you restrict who can view your Likes. Think twice about liking something distasteful or someone controversial.
Opt for a good cover picture: The new Facebook profile allows you to add a cover photo on top of the page, in addition to your profile pic. Opt for a cover picture that represents or says something positive about you.
Photo Courtesy:SocialMediaRomania on Flickr
12 Responses to “ Pay Attention to the Facebook Timeline – Recruiters are Watching ”
Why in the world would ANYONE let employers see their PERSONAL Facebook page?
nope, wrong tool, Facebook is trying playing catchup with linked-in. Facebook lacks the necessary tools to be an effective conduit for employer / recruiter / applicant interaction.
It has already earned its reputation as a social, playtime, gaming, chatroom and it has no place whatsoever in the business world.
linked in however, DOES provide a businesslike and professional interaction environment.
Don’t be misled folks, Linke In is the FIRST place employers / recruiters / hiring managers go to learn about applicants.
I never even bother looking at timeline pages.
I do not care if they want to look at my Facebook, but i’ll be damned if i’m going to act like someone i’m not for anyone. I like women, i like jokes, i like music, and i have lots of friends in low places. But you know what, i would put those people above the corporate crooks i know on any day of the week. So you go ahead an spread your words of socialism and big brothers watching, and i’ll keep being myself and making funny comments on FB. Our government is wanting us all to turn in to a bunch of Pussies, and unfortunately not in a good way
I must agree with the previous comments regarding the professionalism of Face Book compaird to Linked In. Face book has established its self as a leader for the social media revolution and particulary targed at the younger generations for informal, fun and games communications with your ” Vertual Friends”. Where as Linked IN is a “Grown UP’s” tool for professional contacts only! and has a much better reputation for maintaining privacy rights. If FB is trying to get into the game as a source for recruiters to recruit from then were all in trouble… this essentually lowers the bar for experineced workers over the age of 35 because most folks I know over that age do not have a face book page nor do they ever intend to have one as FB is viewed as simply another passing fad of the internet. My professional network of “Real Friends” I’ve gatherd over 30 years of professional engineering work rely on tools like Linked In to maintain their professional contacts. What’s a Face Book Time Line anay way? I dont have a face book page either.
Right on Dan!
[...] recent post about the Facebook Timeline brings up a very important issue about our new age of Social Media. As an extension of our [...]
Dan, I so totally agree. Sounds like my profile!
According to so called self professed resume expert you really only need to Facebook yourself and twitter your way to get recruiters to notice you.
Before you fall for this visit the CBC Market place. They talk about scams.
I know of one such scammer who posts 5 of my clients landed using twitter last week. Don’t fall into this trap.
No one said that all you need is Facebook and Twitter. Getting recruiters to notice you is a complex task. This is just an article advising some attention to your online presence.
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freebiejeebies scam…
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