So you’ve got the education that you needed, the knowledge that you wanted, and the position that you are interested in. Time to send out your well-structured and perfect written cover letters and CVs. Wait, have you Googled yourself yet?

According to a recent survey done by CareerBuilder.co.uk, most of the employers these days screen candidates using social networking sites. From the survey, 53% of the employers claimed that they run searches online through social networking sites to research their candidates, and 43% of the employers have decided not to hire after seeing what’s online. The top reasons are:

• Candidate lied about qualifications – (38%)
• Candidate displayed poor communication skills – (31%)
• Candidate used discriminatory comments – (13%)
• Candidate posted content about their use of drink or drugs – (10%)
• Candidate uploaded provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – (9%)
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, colleagues or clients – (9%)
• Candidate shared confidential information from workplace – (8%)

Around 50% of the employers decided to hire after checking candidates’ online profiles. The top reasons are:

• Profile substantiated candidate’s professional qualifications – (61%)
• Candidate displayed good communication skills – (41%)
• Candidate seemed well-rounded – (37%)
• Profile gave a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – (28%)
• Candidate was perceived as creative – (24%)
• Candidate gave off a professional image – (22%)
• Candidate had received awards and accolades – (15%)
• Contacts had posted good references about the candidate – (15%)

Numbers don’t lie, I don’t think social media profile is more important than qualifications, but I think what’s online about a person should always be transparent. The data above should not in any way encourage anyone to build a fake online profile to impress employers, what’s online should reflect directly who you really are and what your passion is.

Photo Credit: Matthew Flores