Facebook Business Profile

Hi everyone!

Time for blog numero dos today! This post regards a site where I waste a lot of my time, good old Facebook. This week we had to make a page about professional selves, the way we would want to be portrayed to potential employers. I thought of it like an online resume, because rumor has it many companies occasionally do search the Facebook accounts of potential employees.

There were some points I thought were very important to include. Obviously my name was an essential component, as well as my level of education. I discussed previous jobs and the lessons I learned from them and the organizations with which I currently volunteer. I thought it was important to share a bit of information about my strengths in a work environment and links to my blog and twitter so they can learn a bit more about me. I included some information about my likes, so that the whole page didn’t feel too impersonal. Lastly I listed some of my favorite websites and mentors, so the reader can gain a better understanding of my personal values and ethics.

I feel that including all of these components made for a very well-rounded page. My goal was to create a page that was professional and shared my experience and future goals. However, I wanted to add small personal touches because if I have something in common with the reader they are more likely to be interested in my page and in building a professional relationship.

Building this page helped me realize that Facebook can be used for something other than procrastinating and sharing pictures or upcoming events. Businesses can build pages to advertise, celebrities can communicate with fans, and organizations can connect with potential volunteers. Although social media is sometimes regarded as a time waster that is creating an impersonal world, projects like this make a very valid argument for the advantages of social media sites. In ALES 204, where the focus is on online communication, I feel like I have gotten to know my classmates better than any other 200 person class I’ve been a part of. Reading everyone’s tweets and scrolling through their blogs has given me a real insight into the personalities and aspirations of my fellow classmates. For example, I found that Jasmeena made a very good point in reminding us all to check out privacy settings, because you really don’t know who is checking your profile! And I agree with her, having a business profile makes employers less likely to investigate my personal profile.

I found an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about whether employers truly can fire people based on their Facebook accounts. I didn’t realize that people had legitimately gotten fired over postings, and that companies were actually being sued as a result. Articles like that definitely make me think twice about anything I post!

That’s all for now. If you want go find my Facebook professional page, follow this link! Remember, anything online is visible to the whole wide world. So keep it professional people!

Jen

      From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

    From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com

 From jkhay (2011), Edmonton. Retrieved November 11, 2011 from http://www.flickr.com