A recent article in Forbes magazine cautions job seekers to think twice before they publish a photo to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and blogging sites. Employers are (and have been) using social media sites and services that scour the sites to screen potential job candidates. This means if you are applying for a teaching position (for example) and just threw up 22 new photos of you doing a fire dance while shooting tequila shots wearing a skimpy outfit, you may be in trouble.
A company named Social Intelligence just got the green light from the FTC to essentially mine and serve up data that it collects for up to seven years. Employers can purchase a report on a potential job candidate and get the bottom line on who they are based on their activity / behavior on social media sites. So, even if you delete that photo before you interview for the job, odds are, someone grabbed it and stored it. It’s very important and sobering to remember this: Google Never Forgets, nor does Social Intelligence (except after 7 years), etc..
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