Young job seekers to benefit from social media tool

Graeme Parton +

With social media playing such a big part in the everyday lives of students in the UK, it’s no surprise that some will occasionally post things they live to regret at a later date. Whether it’s the photographic evidence of an offensive attempt at winning a fancy dress competition or a status post about a disliked boss or lecturer, poorly judged updates can cause problems when it comes to securing a job further down the line.

Thankfully, a team of experts in the US has come up with a handy solution. Persona is a tool which helps young jobseekers to protect their own online reputations. By constantly monitoring the user’s presence on social media, it is able to flag posts which could be regretted later on and offers notifications when questionable content appears on the timelines and newsfeeds of friends.

The company’s founder and CEO, Lee Sherman, explained that social presence is a big deal for many young graduates looking to kick-start their careers. He said that an increasing number of employers are looking at individuals’ Facebook and Twitter pages during the recruitment stages and that a person’s reputation on these sites could potentially be life-changing.

Sherman’s thoughts are echoed among a number of experts, with Atlantic Social Media Group’s president, Kristen Daukas, pointing to the increase in the number of young people posting job complaints and revealing personal information for all to see online.

She went on to say that ‘Millenials’ often fail to think carefully enough about what they share openly on the internet but they should consider themselves as “brands” and behave accordingly on social media sites.

The new tool would no doubt be useful for businesses as well. While social media has become vital as a tool for companies to interact with consumers, not all firms use it intelligently. It’s important to remember that it only takes one misjudged post to damage a reputation.