Job Seekers Say: Stop Invading My-Space!

  
    
  
  
    
      Some of today’s savviest job seekers are using 
      social media outlets such as MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn to get their 
      foot in the door and become the top candidate in a search. But just as 
      using these sites can help a search they can just as quickly harm one. 
      Adecco, the world leader in workforce solutions, offers insights for job 
      seekers on how to leverage the web for a successful job hunt, while also 
      preventing social media sites from hindering the search.
    
    
      "Because social media and online job searching components are now part 
      of the norm, candidates need to know how to benefit from the use of 
      these tools in order to be successful in their search,” 
      says Bernadette Kenny, Chief Career Officer at Adecco. “A 
      job seeker’s personal posts on social media 
      outlets, as well as their overall ‘persona’ 
      on the Internet can harm their hunt for the perfect job – 
      or they can turn it around and use these same tools to help them land a 
      great position.”
    
    
      Increasingly, employers are scouring the web and conducting instant 
      background checks – most commonly by using 
      Google to search an individual’s name. 
      Interestingly, in a recent Adecco Workplace Insights survey, 66 percent 
      of Generation Y respondents were not aware that seemingly private 
      photos, comments and statements were audited by potential employers. 
      While over half of the respondents to the same survey do not feel that 
      it is fair for the information they have online about themselves to be a 
      factor in the hiring process, it is now part of the norm.
    
    
      The Internet is the first stop for many recruiters and hiring managers 
      to determine if a potential candidate is a good fit. Ensuring their 
      search turns up positive information is the responsibility of candidates.
    
    
      Using Social Media to Your Advantage: Tips from Adecco
    
    
      
        Protect your online persona. For those with profiles on social 
        network sites, don’t post anything that you 
        wouldn’t want a prospective employer to 
        see. This includes derogatory comments, revealing or risqué 
        photos, foul language and lewd jokes. And keep tabs on what the 
        Internet has to say abut you. Do a Google search, and if there are 
        items that would be unflattering to a potential employer, contact the 
        web page’s controller to try to have it 
        removed.
      
      
        Create a positive virtual presence. Starting a blog on a topic 
        in your industry helps you be seen as a thought leader. It defines you 
        as an expert and can be instrumental in building relationships with 
        others in your field who may be hiring or know others who are hiring.
      
      
        Build relationships. Use sites like LinkedIn to connect to a 
        network of professionals with similar interests and skills. Use 
        MySpace and Facebook to your advantage. Once you delete the 
        unprofessional photos and language, post a bulletin to your “friends” 
        about your job search – they can let you 
        know about openings at their companies and can even pass your resume 
        along for you.
      
    
    
      A recent Adecco white paper, Job Hunting in the Digital Age, 
      further outlines how job seekers can best utilize the growing number of 
      social media sites to their advantage while preventing those sites, and 
      the information about themselves on the Internet, from harming their 
      search. The findings and recommendations in this white paper are based 
      upon primary research and Adecco’s expertise 
      and experience in the market. To receive a copy of this report, contact 
      Cynthia Greenberg at 212-880-5379 or [e-mail].
    
    
      ADECCO WORLDWIDE:
    
    
      Adecco S.A. is a Global Fortune 500 company and the world leader in 
      workforce solutions. The Adecco Group network connects over 700,000 
      associates with business clients each day through its network of over 
      33,000 employees and 6,600 offices in over 70 countries and territories 
      around the world. Registered in Switzerland, and managed by a 
      multinational team with expertise in markets spanning the globe, the 
      Adecco Group delivers an unparalleled range of flexible staffing and 
      career resources to corporate clients and qualified associates.
    
    
      ADECCO NORTH AMERICA:
    
    
      Adecco is the workforce solutions leader in the United States and 
      Canada, with a comprehensive service offering that includes temporary 
      and contract staffing, permanent recruitment, outplacement and career 
      services, training and consulting. In addition to its core competency in 
      administrative, clerical and light industrial staffing, Adecco operates 
      the following specialty divisions: Engineering & Technical; Finance & 
      Accounting; Information Technology; Medical & Science; Legal; Human 
      Capital Solutions; Government Solutions; and Transportation.
    
    
      Adecco S.A. is registered in Switzerland (ISIN: CH001213860) and listed 
      on the Swiss Stock Exchange with trading on virt-x (SWX/VIRT-X: ADEN) 
      and Euronext Paris - Premier Marché 
      (EURONEXT: ADE).
    
    
      Additional information is available at the company’s 
      website at www.adeccousa.com.