If you're job-hunting, assume that employers will check you out on Facebook. Have you scrubbed your profile?

Today, hiring managers find information about candidates from more places than their resume. Candidates, as well, have opportunities to market themselves in more places than just their resume.

Facebook, the 800 pound gorilla of social networking is an obvious place for job seekers to build your social brand.

Yes, LinkedIn is business oriented and doesn’t have games, but Facebook is eight times the size of LinkedIn. In addition, Facebook is the top website used to search for people. If you’re a candidate, you want to be searched for and want to be found.

Facebook now has over 400 million users, with a large percentage over 30, so it's a relevant job search tool for candidates.

While LinkedIn can be very effective in promoting your professional skills, Facebook gives employers insight into into who you are as a person. Through effective use of Facebook’s privacy control, job seekers can separate what employers can see from what your friends see.

In addition, Facebook profiles are indexed by Google – which means if an employer Googles a job seeker by name, your Facebook profile will turn up as a result.

The greater number of friends you have, the more relevant your profile is to Google, and higher your profile will rank on Google results. The good news is that you can allow employers to find you and the information – that you control – on Facebook. The bad news is that you might also allow your stalker ex-boyfriend to find that same information.

Job seekers should assume that they will be searched online by recruiters, before an interview is scheduled, when making short list decisions, and before a final offer is extended. In addition, recruiters and HR departments are not just searching to find dirt, but are using Facebook and Google more frequently to find new candidates. There is a whole cottage industry that trains recruiters how to use Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook to find candidates, especially passive candidates.

Assuming you don’t have any stalkers in the picture, here’s some steps of developing a controlled Facebook profile to brand yourself as a candidate...  [Read more]