Could Your Social Networking Site Harm Your Job Search? Many IT Workers Say Better Safe Than Sorry
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Could Your Social Networking Site Harm Your Job Search? Many IT Workers Say Better Safe Than Sorry

New Technisource Social Media Survey Finds 50 Percent Of It Workers Would Modify Their Social Media Content If Employers Were Looking

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. // PRNewswire // -- Despite only three percent of IT workers admitting to getting in trouble for content posted to their social media profiles, up to 50 percent of IT workers say they might or would modify/delete content if they knew a prospective employer was going to review their page as part of the interview process, according to a new 2010 Technisource Social Media Use Report.

The survey also found that one-third (32 percent) of IT workers say they have been approached about a career opportunity via social media, while 41 percent of respondents have searched for at least one or more jobs on their various social networks.

Among other key findings:

  • 67 percent of respondents use Facebook as their primary social media site, with 19 percent using LinkedIn as their primary site.
  • Of those 41 percent using social media in a job search, 85 percent say they primarily use LinkedIn to look for jobs and 82 percent of respondents who have been approached about a career opportunity, have been approached through LinkedIn.
  • Thirty-five percent of IT workers say the majority of their networking is done through social media (comparable to the 33 percent that use face-to-face interaction, and much greater than those by phone or through associations or groups).
  • When researching a company's presence and reputation, 47 percent of respondents reported that they utilize social media as part of their overall background research.
  • Nearly 40 percent (37 percent) of respondents said they would not "friend" or connect with their boss through social media.

"Social media is clearly taking on a bigger role for both candidates and employers," said Michael Winwood, president of Technisource. "Not only are job seekers doing a lot of their networking on these sites, but 41 percent of survey respondents have used social media at one time or another to conduct a job search. I anticipate that more professionals will turn to social media for both self-marketing and researching of potential employers – making a company's digital footprint and online reputation more critical than ever. There is no doubt that social networking has fundamentally changed the way we transmit and receive information."

Methodology

The August 2010 Technisource Social Media Use by IT Pros survey was conducted online within the United States by an independent third party research firm on behalf of Technisource between July 14 and August 4, 2010 among a U.S. sample of 508 technology working adults, aged 20 years and older. Respondents represent those invited to participate in the survey, which includes full and part-time technology workers.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published surveys come close to this ideal.

About Technisource

Technisource, one of the largest technology services providers in North America, delivers a wide range of staffing, management services and technology solutions. With nearly 40 years of experience, Technisource provides services to a broad range of clients to maximize their technology investments. Focused on quality, flexibility and value, the company's service offerings range from IT staffing, deployment and support services to software quality management, strategic projects and outsourcing.

Through its network of more than 56 offices across the U.S. and Canada, Technisource maintains a group of 8,000 experienced consultants and employees that deliver its portfolio of service offerings to Fortune 500 corporations, mid-sized companies and small organizations.

Technisource is a subsidiary of SFN Group, Inc. SFN operates a family of specialty businesses providing strategic workforce solutions in professional services and general staffing.

SOURCE Spherion Corporation

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