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Career Zone is a monthly career column written for Drexel alumni by Julia Levy '93. Julia is a strategic communications and staffing leader with experience in corporate communications, brand management and recruiting. Find out more about Julia below.
In the podcast below, find out more about Career Zone directly from Julia:
Alumni are encouraged to send comments, questions or suggestions for future column topics to alumni@drexel.edu.
Lately there have been many news stories and articles about how companies are asking candidates for the passwords to their social media accounts during the interview process.
For years, companies have been doing background and credit checks as part of their pre-employment screening. I have not heard of anyone in my vast network of recruiters and HR professionals asking candidates for their Facebook login information. If you were asked to provide that information during an interview, would you provide it?
I might follow up with some questions about the organization's "Code of Ethics" or similar policies and address how I am a responsible adult and corporate citizen. I would explain that I am not comfortable with giving out my passwords, but happy to address any questions that they had. Personally, I would question if I wanted to work for a company who felt it was important to log into my personal social media accounts. That is a little too "Big Brother" for my tastes.
I do know many recruiters who will Google a candidate, review their LinkedIn profile and see what information might be available via public record. It is important to remember that your LinkedIn or Facebook information is only a small percentage of the data that might be available about you online. A detailed Google search can turn up comments on blogs, user groups, bulletin boards and/or Craigslist. Photos and videos are posted and tagged on sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Picasa etc.
Those photos of you getting trashed on vacation, or the naughty photo you sent to your significant other might make their way to the public domain. Joining a group on Facebook called "This is America, Speak English" or "I Hate Working at Company ABC" or your rant about your boss as a comment on your friend's blog could shed a negative light on your ability to represent an organization in a positive way.
Employers are still bound to follow EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) antidiscrimination laws when using online research, covering a persons age, gender, religion, disability, national origin or race when making hiring decisions. However, recruiters and hiring managers can dig up information about you that might keep you from getting your dream job.
Remember there are things you can do in order to ensure you have a positive online presence:
- Research yourself online and look for inaccuracies so you can identify and rectify them before a potential employer points them out to you.
- Create a few variations of Google alerts so that every time new information about you is posted on the Web, you will get e-mail notification.
- Think about the people you connect with on the various social media sites. Make sure you connect with people you trust and who will give you good recommendations.
- Use privacy settings on the various social media sites. Review the privacy settings on a regular basis as sites like Facebook update their privacy policy on a regular basis.
- Post positively. Take control of your online presence. Ensure there are posts about things such as your career accomplishments, volunteer activities or community involvement.
 Julia Levy '93 has a passion for recruiting and helping find the right people for the right job. Currently, she manages Talent Acquisition Operations for TIAA-CREF, a Fortune 100 financial services organization. At TIAA, she is helping to transform the recruiting function by optimizing processes, implementing creative tools and technologies and developing innovative talent strategies.
With more than 15 years experience in Human Resources, Julia believes that job seekers need to be educated on how employers think in order to be successful in finding a job or advancing in one's career. On the flip side, employers need to think more like a job seeker in order to find the best candidates and retain them.
Professional development is an ongoing process; whether or not you're looking for a new job, there are always opportunities for growth and improvement. Julia's column will touch upon broad topics which range from résumé-writing, to networking dos and don'ts, to how the latest technology can be used to enhance your personal brand.
Previously with MetLife, Julia had developed and implemented innovative sourcing strategies, programs and branding to acquire top talent and increase the visibility of MetLife in the marketplace. During her tenure there, Julia helped increase recruiting effectiveness and saved millions through the development and implementation of a centralized staffing strategy. She also managed relationships and negotiated contracts with external outsourcing, search firms, job board and advertising partners.
In her off hours, Julia's passion for travel has taken her to lands near and far. She lives in New York City and loves to play on her co-ed softball team Who's On First. More |
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May 2009
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June 2009
Perfect Your Elevator Pitch
July 2009
How to Incorporate Social Media into Your Job Search Strategy
August 2009
Answers to Your Online Networking Questions
September 2009
Interview Types and How To Prepare
October 2009
Answers to Your Toughest Interview Questions
November 2009
How to Say Thank You
December 2009
'Tis the Season To Update Your Résumé
January 2010
Everything Above the Fold = Gold
February 2010
Company Research is Always in Fashion
March 2010
Job Loss Can Happen To Anyone |
May 2010
Keeping It Together During a Job Search
June 2010
Want to Increase Your Job Search Success? Create a Personal Positioning Plan!
July 2010
Activity vs. Productivity
August 2010
Follow Up With a Dead Mouse
September 2010
To Temp or Not To Temp, That is the Question
October 2010
Attitude is Everything in Your Job Search
November 2010
Optimize Your Job Search
December 2010
'Tis the Season for Stepping Up Your Job Search
January 2011
The Most Overused Buzzwords That are Killing Your Résumé
February 2011
Shopping for a New Job at Work
March 2011
Skate to Success in Your Next Interview |
May 2011
How to Negotiate Your Way to a Raise
June 2011
Stand Out on LinkedIn
July 2011
What's the Definition of Job Search Insanity?
August 2011
References, Do They Really Matter?
September 2011
Job Search on the Go!
October 2011
Oops! You Did It Again: Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make
December 2011
How to Stay Motivated When Working From Home
January 2012
Get SMART with Your Performance Review
February 2012
Job Search Netiquette |
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