A Professional Facebook

Picture Facebook and think of what you use it for. Does the word resume come to mind? Had I asked myself this a week ago, that would have probably been one of the last things to pop into my head. Facebook to me is where you go to look at pictures from the weekend or of trips friends have taken, where you keep up with what is going on with the people around you, and where you check in on those you love. This is the last sort of place I would want any potential employer looking into me knowing some unprofessional pictures that I have on my profile are certainly not what they are looking for. So why would the term resume consider even coming near this site?

Well, a Facebook page for instance is very much different than your Facebook profile. One can have a profile where they share all those personal things in their life not meant for the work place but yet have a page where they can present themselves in a whole different manner. A profile can be secured against an employer’s eyes whereas a page can be on full public view, presented in a way one would be very proud to let any potential employer look at. It is like a business card but in much greater detail. With social media gaining more momentum in today’s world, it is easy to forget who one’s audience is. Presenting yourself in a certain way, using explicit language, and showing off inappropriate photos is generally not just limited to being shown to the friends on that site; it is easy enough for anyone to Google you and see for themselves or even go onto your profile if it is not secure. The image portrayed on a social media site may perhaps not be how you want an employer to see you as, however if they can access it, nothing is stopping them from seeing your personal photos and details. One article even states that employers are willing to do this.

Photo of my Facebook page

Personally, I know that what I have on my profile is not exactly something I want someone who is going to hire me to see. Creating a Facebook page puts me out there in a professional way. Any job I apply to that happens to look me up on the web would find this, my Facebook page that outlines me just as a resume would do and already I have given myself a good image to this employer. Even more so, someone looking to hire may just stumble upon my page and end up offering me a job opportunity. I created my Facebook page as my own personal resume. This is a place to go to get to know me better, in a professional way, which could improve my potential career opportunities. I’m not saying that Facebook is bad or what people are putting up on Facebook is bad, generally, but that some things are meant for work and others simply are not.

Check out more about Facebook on Tanya’s blog!

Photo of me in Croatia summer 2011

My name is Caitlyn Erickson. I am a second year student at the University of Alberta in the Animal Health program, majoring in companion and performance animals. I’m not really sure what I’m going to do after this degree. All I know is that whatever I end up doing, it is going to involve animals. I grew up in the country, living on a farm my whole life. Sometimes our pasture is full of my uncle’s cattle but mostly it’s pretty much just cats at our farm, a barn full of them. It’s great to be able to be around animals all the time. I enjoy reading; I actually just finished the Hunger Games series, which is an absolutely great read by the way, definitely check it out. I really love to travel. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a family who likes to vacation a lot. I was even lucky to be able to go on a Europe trip with my high school in Gr. 11 and then again with my best friend just this past summer for a few weeks. People may not be enjoying the weather around this time but I love it (as long as I am bundled and cozy); winter is my favourite season! I love the snow and I love to go skiing. Since probably about Gr. 1, I started figure skating. I haven’t gotten the opportunity to keep up with it too much now that I am going to university but I still really enjoy it. Sychronized skating is my favourite. I did it for quite a few years and hope to start up again next year if I make a team.

Until this class, the only form of social media I really used was Facebook. At first, I was hesitant to get it. I thought, what am I going to use this for? But eventually it grew on me and I started to use it more often. In the summer right after I graduated high school, I got the opportunity to go on a GYLC (Global Young Leaders Conference) trip to China. All by myself, halfway around the world, surrounded by people I didn’t know, I was a bit nervous but having Facebook helped me to be okay, knowing I still had a way to talk my family. Two and a half weeks later on the plane back home, I’m thinking off all the amazing people I met from different countries and backgrounds. I loved my roommate that I had for the trip. I was sad, leaving these people. However, Facebook allowed me to continue to talk to them and to know what was going on in their lives. I could connect with my friends from literally all around the world. This opened my eyes to how amazing social media really is. Up until that point, I had only ever used it to check out pictures of the past weekend with my friends, play games, and occasionally have a conversation with someone I would see the next day. Now I can have a conversation with my roommate who I may never see again but can still feel so close to. 

Photo with GYLC in China 2011

 I’ve never really given thought to the idea of social media in a professional way till this class. People use it all the time to connect with friends, share photos, and keep in touch. It can be used to make new connections with people as well. So it makes sense that this way of communication is gaining momentum with the professional world. It’s a whole new way to connect with clients, colleagues, even potential employers. The benefits are numerous. With me being undecided about my future, having all these new ways to gain information and learn about the many opportunities out there, some of which I possibility could not have known about before, it makes it easier for me to make connections and start to build my future. Check out Meaghan’s blog for more thoughts on social media!