JOB NEWS from PERFECT CVs
	Social Networking Sites and Recruitment it is wise to know what your friends are saying!

Monitoring the business and social network sites for suitable candidates is now almost standard practice for many recruiter’s researchers and a recent survey (in US) by business.com suggests that over 30% of social network use in companies is for recruitment purposes; our experience in UK would put the figure much higher than this. Most of us don’t mind being approached regarding suitable vacancies, maybe even flattered but the story doesn’t end there.

Recently, we have seen evidence of social networks being used for a different use by some in the recruitment business even when the application has been made on line, via newspaper ads etc and not via an unsolicited on line approach.

If a candidate for a vacancy is selected for a shortlist or when they get an offer it is quite usual and legitimate for their CV and other information provided to be independently verified. There are organizations that perform this work that follow perfectly reasonable, legitimate routes resulting in properly documented and verifiable facts; but some recruiters are now taking an alternative DIY route and using social network sites to “verify” CVs and gain other information about a candidate.

The obvious check is to see whether your education and employment detail on line matches your CV, fair enough you might say - just make sure it does. However, what the recruiter is looking for is whether other detail in your profile etc matches the picture presented at interview and on-line friends are contacted as part of the process. Your on line profile statement is at least something you can control and it is now important that this is as professionally written as your CV but what about comment your friends might make? Seemingly innocuous chat can in fact reveal a lot of information but not all of it accurate. One actual example went like this: “she was the life and soul of the Manchester Uni archery society” with the response “blimey she’s gone into her shell a bit then” and actually the candidate in question was never at Manchester University in the first place but the friend might not have known this or just ignored that part of the statement. We wonder how the candidate had actually appeared to the recruiter, as a bubbly go-getter maybe? and what the recruiter thinks now?

This is just another example of how useful sites on the internet can be manipulated. It is doubtful that the practice will stop so the best advice is make sure your on line profile is accurate, well written to reflect the “real you” and know your friends!!