Trimming the Fat on Facebook

Facebook has swept the country as it has moved from a college-student-only network to a college and highschool-student-only network to a network that is open to anyone with internet access.

Students generally use it as a way to network with friends and display their interests and fun photos of good times with friends. At least this is what Facebook was and still is intended for.

Unfortunately for younger people, especially those who are looking for jobs, Facebook has been invaded by future employers. These employers, while not always trying to find reasons not to hire you, might want to confirm background information, see if your interests match those on your job application, and see if your personality is appropriate for the job. (Source)

I know that from all corners of the U.S. and maybe even the entire world, shouts of "unfair" can be heard in school corridors and dorm halls, but there is an easy way to avoid future problems.

First of all, Facebook allows you to use privacy settings beginning with very broad settings where you can choose which of your networks are allowed to see your profile to strict privacing settings where you can select only very specific people who can view your profile and what parts of your profile you want them to view.

A more drastic and probably smart way to go about it is to trim the fat from your Facebook. If you are old enough that it is time for you to start looking for a job, maybe it's time to untag those pictures of you out drinking with your buddies on Friday night. Maybe it's even a good idea to remove "streaking" from your lists of interests. And, while I know the "Naughty Gifts" application is fun, maybe it's time to remove it before your future employer or Grandma sees it.

Hey, you never know who's on Facebook these days.