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Employers asking if you have a Facebook on job applications. What do you do?

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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
Basically I'm just a college student lookin for an easy and fun job on a lake this summer. Not an internship or anything serious.

I've been applying and sending in resumes early in hopes of getting the first picks at the good jobs.

Got an application here for a sick hotel. With one problem that I have not yet had to deal with on applications.

It says-

Do you use Facebook? ___Yes or ___No

Do you accept this hotel as a friend? ___Yes or ___No

If yes, how are you listed on Facebook? ___________________




My Facebook isn't too bad but not something I'd want an employer too see. It isn't easy enough to just untag myself from drinking photos and stuff. There's all the comments, and rap music posted on my wall, etc. Just too much to try and clean it up.

I could do any of these things:
1. Say I don't use Facebook and change my name to something they can't find.

2. Say I use Facebook but say I will not accept the hotel as a friend.

3. Say I use Facebook, say I will accept the hotel as a friend, and wait for the friend request. Then if it comes in, block everything immediately.

As of now I'm thinking choice 2 is the best choice.




What have you NS'ers done in the past? This is just one of those things I can see happening on most applications from now on.

And if anyone thinks employers don't care what they see on there...they do! Read this:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/if-youre-applying-job-censor-your-facebook-page




Any opinions welcome. Thanks & +karma.

Apr 17 2012 9:28PM
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Timmy.
Posts: 507 - Karma: 22
2nd page
Apr 17 2012 11:13PM
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Rossberger
Posts: 768 - Karma: 168
You can't do this for photos/statuses, but you can customize it so Company X can't see what others post on your wall + posts you're tagged in.

Actually, this may work for photos (ones you didn't take).

It's somewhere in the "profile and tagging" settings, hope this is what you're looking for.
Apr 17 2012 11:16PM
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bobs
Posts: 4801 - Karma: 868
Here's what I have done and its worked well:

1) Say yes you have a facebook

2) Say you are uncomfortable friending someone you have never met personally

3) As a compromise say you will log into your facebook when you come into interview and let them look through it with you.

I guarantee they'll spend less time snooping through it if you're with them. HR always seems to become aware of how awkward the request really is. Its like watching porn with your mom in the room.

You can clean it up a little before hand and any thing semi-questionable is easy to defend since you;re sitting right there with them.
Apr 17 2012 11:42PM
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BrewskiJr
Posts: 5738 - Karma: 1,478
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Apr 17 2012 11:45PM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
This! Just deactivate it for awhile. Facebook is getting out of hand you cant go a day without hearing it somewhere in an ad or conversation.
Apr 18 2012 11:13AM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Why is everyone telling him he should delete and untag himself from inappropriate stuff? All you have to do is turn up the privacy settings. For example: f you search my name on Facebook, nothing comes up. I don't use a fake name or my first and middle name or anything, and I have tons of pictures of me drinking and doing stupid shit. My employer will never see those things, because even if they go out of their way to try and find me, they can't. All you have to do is set your privacy settings to "Friends Only," or something like that.
Apr 18 2012 11:18AM
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5oup5teeze
Posts: 1259 - Karma: 74
this, this, this
Apr 18 2012 11:40AM
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Sallabillz
Posts: 1289 - Karma: 762
say fuck no
Apr 18 2012 11:48AM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
yeah, i probably will in a little while, as that time is coming pretty soon
Apr 18 2012 11:49AM
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jeremy.g
Posts: 4931 - Karma: 459
im not okay with employers accessing my personal facebook page. it is none of their business imo. i would say no.
Apr 18 2012 11:56AM
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howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
ugggh so the hotel set up a fb page as a person? (as apposed to a page) so annoying when businesses do that.
Apr 18 2012 12:09PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
this.

Apr 18 2012 12:17PM
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jeremy.g
Posts: 4931 - Karma: 459
which is why i have the privacy settings so you cant see anything if you aren't my friend. they can see my name, location and profile picture.
Apr 19 2012 10:02AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,273
they won't actually look at your facebook, this isn't a serious job. they just want to see if you panic and have anything to hide. say you have a facebook and that they can friend you. it's the same as saying they can contact your references from past jobs

when you're looking for a real job though and they actually do look through your facebook you have to remember that all the stuff you delete and change is still accessible by companies that really want to find it. once it's out there it's out there forever even if it's not visible to the average facebook user
Apr 19 2012 10:34AM
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JzD.
Posts: 1615 - Karma: 153
If you are serious about the job, delete your Facebook
Apr 19 2012 11:51AM
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theBearJew
Posts: 10951 - Karma: 15,633
May have already been said. But if you say no you dont have a facebook. MAKE SURE YOU DONT USE THE SAME E-MAIL. They can look you up by e-mail on facebook. Or just make a second facebook with a professional e-mail. Keep it clean and empty. That way you arent lying.

Apr 19 2012 11:56AM
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PhaedeD
Posts: 11499 - Karma: 342
not that this hotel can get around that but big corporations I have heard will actually just go straight to facebook and get them to unlock your shit for them or something. not that they unlock it on your actual account but they allow companies to look through shit you have blocked. they will even allow them to look through deactivated accounts thats why you really need to email facebook and have them delete it although even in that case I doubt they delete your shit.
Apr 19 2012 11:57AM
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corona
Posts: 12805 - Karma: 32,823
public information or not, it's none of their business what you do in your personal life. Tell them to fuck right off and go find another job. If an employer ever fires me because of what I have on facebook or anywhere else in my personal life that's NOT illegal to begin with I am sueing the fuck out of them. They can not hire someone for having messy hair, but unless it states it in a signed contract then they cannot fire you for having messy hair.
Apr 19 2012 12:26PM
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jblaski
Posts: 5566 - Karma: 1,078
You're in college right? Time to grow out of your kid stage, and into your adult stage.

With that, it means you need to take the time to clean up your Facebook. This means you need to un-tag and delete all the photos of you drunk and stupid, delete "marijuana" and "being drunk in the morning" for your likes, and get rid of all the posts on your wall where you talked about how much you hate your current employer.

A prospective employer has every right in the world to look at your Facebook, and judge you on what they see. Anything you put on there, you did so willingly, and is a direct reflection of your "real" self. If you don't want them to see something, you need to get rid of it.

I've had it happen to myself. I applied for a job as a state trooper a number of years ago and, I made it to the background investigation level of the hiring process. When I met with the investigator, he had a folder of information all about me. This included every single time I'd ever been stopped by a cop (I had never gotten a ticket in my life, he had every time I have been stopped for a headlight out or a speed warnning), and he had a printout of my entire Myspace profile (this was before Facebook, when Myspace was the hit). He asked me about every picture, every post, and about many of my friends.

So yes, your employer can certainly use your Facebook to judge you. I'm friends with my employer on Facebook, along with most of my coworkers, and most of my supervisors. If you don't want people to judge you, don't put stupid shit on there. Or better yet, grow up and stop doing stupid shit that makes you look bad.

Also, to the person that said they would sue if they fired over Facebook, that's totally false. It's been in the courts MULTIPLE times, and the employer has every right in the world to do that. It's public information. Plus, almost every state has a right to work law. Pretty much, if your boss doesn't like the color of your shoe laces, you can be fired with no repercussions.
Apr 19 2012 1:16PM
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supergalactic
Posts: 92 - Karma: 12
i would add them as 'restricted'... they see nothing but your profile picture and some events like 'became friends with....' etc. (that's what i do with my relatives :D)
Apr 19 2012 1:22PM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
thanks for the reply dude, appreicate it. but as i said in my original post...most of this stuff doesn't apply to me. i have a few photos of me drinking like every college student, and some rap music on my wall. nothing being drunk and stupid (maybe 1 pic), marijuana, being drunk in the morning, lol.
Apr 19 2012 1:27PM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
also my decision was to just say i'd accept them as a friend on facebook. im just gonna hope a friend request doesn't come in. said dis on the first page.
Apr 19 2012 1:28PM
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snwbrdmilf
Posts: 22441 - Karma: 2,806
I have it set so that you cannot search for my name. I also use a different last name than my legal last name. I think its silly to have to "give" your fb to your employer - but that's just personal opinion. I am friends with my supervisor, but I do also block her from daily activity as I should be working ;)
Apr 19 2012 1:29PM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
i feel you on that. but a simple click on some of it would turn off an older generation.
Apr 19 2012 1:31PM
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comeatmebro
Posts: 10720 - Karma: 66
it's just sad that these things have to be done to land a job, is all. also, you are not going to be fired for something stupid like that; please tell me how most employers (read companies) can get away with that.
Apr 19 2012 1:34PM
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PhaedeD
Posts: 11499 - Karma: 342
I smoke weed and I will make you millions.

Obama smoked pot, inhaled and it doesnt seem to have fucked up his ability to be succesful. Not that I like that guy but you cant hate on him for becoming the President after admitting to smoking POT in college!

/end my weed arguement.
Apr 19 2012 4:13PM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
& he did coke as well
Apr 19 2012 5:04PM
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AlwaysDisagrees
Posts: 248 - Karma: 39
Accept their friend request, but don't let them see anything but your religion. Then if they don't give you the job, claim they discriminated against you because of your religion.
Apr 19 2012 5:55PM
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Mtougas
Posts: 870 - Karma: 77
Hah.
Apr 19 2012 7:00PM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14502 - Karma: 10,730
.

This this this. Employers should stay away from facebook. There is no need for them to look at it.
Apr 19 2012 7:39PM
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bdarb207
Posts: 3057 - Karma: 438
Tell them you're not interested in mixing work with your personal life. It's not unreasonable. I never add anyone I work with regardless of our status as friends in real life.
Apr 19 2012 8:43PM
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Funnel
Posts: 7816 - Karma: 1,534
Dude, just deactivate it and once you get the job activate it again.
Apr 19 2012 9:53PM
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seward
Posts: 5233 - Karma: 2,174
1. say you dont use facebook.
2. say you dont use facebook.
3. say you dont use facebook.
4. ?????
5. buttttseckssss
Apr 20 2012 10:01AM
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doitbig
Posts: 4818 - Karma: 315
say you don't use it, block the hotels account.
Apr 20 2012 10:35AM
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,026
it's not last minute, it's early. In the area I'm working, 90% of the business are only open in the summer. They didn't even want to hear from me a month ago when I first started looking.
Apr 20 2012 10:47AM
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PopsicleStand
Posts: 6890 - Karma: 147
My job does not specifically ask about facebook, but they are concerned about social media (I guess I am trying to say there is the risk of a social media crackdown). It is one of the reasons why I choose to not keep a facebook currently.
Apr 20 2012 10:55AM
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AWALLRUS.
Posts: 5762 - Karma: 223
.
Apr 20 2012 11:01AM
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DANETRON
Posts: 6671 - Karma: 137
In Ny im pretty sure its under "employment at will". Either you or your employer can end your employment at anytime for any reason at all. My work is heavily into drug testing. I know a guy I used to work with was smoking that K2 stuff and it was making him fuck up pretty bad at work, but it wouldn;t show up in the drug test....So they fired him for being 2 min late one day. If they want you gone they will get rid of you in a way that wont come back on them. If they dont like what they see on your facebook they will find some other reason to not hire you/fire you. End  of my ramblings.
Apr 20 2012 11:15AM
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plaplapla
Posts: 435 - Karma: 70
fuck employers tryna look at peoples facebook. its bullshit. they should be asking us our ns user names ahah
Apr 20 2012 1:31PM
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snwbrdmilf
Posts: 22441 - Karma: 2,806
This is ridiculous - I now want to delete everyone I work with. This is a coworker's status update, and this is her SUPERVISOR'S comment .... seriously wtf

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Apr 24 2012 7:44PM
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bdarb207
Posts: 3057 - Karma: 438
And shit like that ^^ is exactly why. Not worth the hassle.
Apr 24 2012 9:04PM
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