Eyes on Facebook

Late last night I was on Stumbleupon and found an interesting article about Facebook.  The article was focusing on a little trick that admissions offices are using when looking at prospective students. Colleges are looking at your Facebook profiles to see what type of person you are.  I can't put it any simpler.  The eyes are on you!

The article goes on to speak about how high school students change their names to "FunkMasterFloikes" and untag themselves from "risky" photographs that might harm their chances of getting accepted.  The article also mentions that inappropriate tweets might also put your chances at risk.

Where's the privacy?!  Oh wait, I remember now, we sign off our freedom once we agree to their "terms".
Ahh, the beauty of the internet, you gotta' love it!

The article does focus on high school students, but believe me, once you graduate, employers will be searching your name up as well.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

       "It turns out students have good reason to worry. According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of 350 admissions officers, more than 25 percent of school officials said they had looked up applicants on Facebook or Google. Off campus, a similar percentage of private scholarship organizations also acknowledge researching their applicants online, according to a National Scholarship Providers Association survey. Still, many admissions directors are reluctant to provide specifics in how they scour social feeds. No, many say, they donҀt look up every applicant online, but yes, if they somehow come across an inappropriate tweet or Facebook post, it could factor into their decision. No, theyҀd never use it as the deciding factor between two similar applicants, but yes, students should be mindful of what they post."

The article:http://nation.time.com/2012/11/15/when-colleges-look-up-applicants-on-facebook-the-unspoken-new-admissions-test/

Everyone and their mother has a Facebook account and for the most part, people don't care what they put on their pages. The one thing you should really pay mind to, is that companies that are hiring are also looking into social media to see if the candidates they interview are the people they say they are.

Try to remember that when you are about to apply to a new job or a new school, you should think about taking down the pictures from that house party you were at and that one shot of you "rehydrating" yourself because it could come back to haunt you!

Think of what gets put on the internet.
To you it might just be a beer, but to a future employer it could be a reason not to hire.

          "Stay thirsty my friends"
















L.U.J