PRos in Training

Facebook is something I’d resisted for a long time because I thought it was just college students. At Federated Media’s Conversational Marketing Summit in San Francisco, though, I discovered that it’s increasingly outstripping other sites as a business networking tool. Here’s an article I found on Digg about how it’s closing in on LinkedIn: techcrunch.com.

I also avoided Facebook for a long time. Even as a college student, I was turned off by the way it exposes people’s personal lives. I finally succumbed to the web of Facebook and Myspace, but have kept a minimal profile. The Forrester Research data and the techcrunch.com article mentioned above seem to highlight the potential for employers to watch these lines of communication. It will be interesting to see how, or if, the new Facebook networking ad-ons will influence the number of party pictures and Happy Hour applications on profiles.

I was under the impression that you needed a high school or college e-mail address to join Facebook. The fact that 75 percent of users are not college students is shocking to me. I have always thought that MySpace and Facebook were incredible networking tools that were being misused by college students. This research leads me to believe that more people are actually using as to network.

Wow! This is incredible. Just as many, I had no idea. I knew professionals look at people’s profiles during the interviewing process, but I didn’t know that those not in college were the majority. However, because this is a great social networking tool, I’m glad I am familar with it. It can help me research my audiences and target them in an alternative way. Facebookers beware: it makes stalking easy (scary!) and can prevent you from getting a job.
P.S. Thanks for the comment Kelli!

Facebook was almost a coming-of-age for me. I hopped on board my freshmen year to join an exponentially growing network of friends and peers. It helped me stay in touch while abroad, connect with classmates for study groups and post pics of (almost) everything. Needless to say, by my last term at the UO, I’m over it. Your post confirmed the rumors I’d heard about employers keeping tabs on potential interns. It would be a shame to present a flawless portfolio, only to have your dream of working for Employer X smashed because of a scandalous Facebook picture. Thanks, Kelli, for bringing this to the forefront. As I move into the post-college world, I think I’ll be parting with the Book. Tear.

wow! Thanks for all the comments.

My post wasn’t a warning that employees will check your profile before they hire you (they will), but to make sure you’re aware that Facebook is a viable networking tool. I suppose my advice would be to “professionalize” your profile or lock out non-friends… but know that lots of people, in and out of PR, are using Facebook for professional reasons. To connect, stay in touch and even pitch reporters and bloggers.

It would be a shame to give it up, Claire. You’ll likely be shutting yourself out from a great networking tool. You just need to adjust your purpose for using it and your frame of mind.

What surprises me is how Facebook demographics have shifted so far away from college students so quickly. It wasn’t too long ago when Facebook became extended for “everyone” to use, and I definitely remember the time when you had to have a college email to join (although I’m sure that didn’t stop some people out there). I think the fact students are so ego-centric about Facebook is because it started as an exclusive space for college students. I don’t know about the rest of the world, but it’s definitely the social networking medium of choice at U of O and, as far as I know, in the state or Oregon. Who knows where college students might flock in the future, but I know I’ll probably go to the sites where my friends are at…wherever that may be.

I welcome employers looking up an applicant’s Facebook profile. I think it helps bring authenticity to hiring. None in this world is flawless. Most people have experienced some wild times, including employers themselves. So long as these experiences do not dominate an individual’s profile, I do not understand any cause for alarm. Applicants are so concerned with conveying a perfect image; however, that image may only last for the duration of an interview. An applicant that attempts to suggest he or she is flawless in an interview will find it difficult to maintain the façade once the internship or career begins. Moreover, I would hesitate to work for an employer that scoffs at an individual occasionally letting lose. After all, if you’re going to work up to 60 hours a week, do you really want it to be for a group of condemnatory people?

I remember signing up for my Facebook account when the site first started during my freshman year. Those were the good old days when you had to be in college to join. It’s been great to watch Facebook’s evolution over time and see how it accommodates its interface to its publics. Facebook is the greatest online invention of my lifetime since Google.