How social media could cost you your job

By Wirnida Azman It’s the biggest phenomenon of the digital age but social media is now impacting the lives of some people to the extent of leaving them jobless. SBS recently fired journalist Marion Ives because she shared an article on her Facebook page about how SBS is hiring fewer staff from non-English backgrounds. Employers admit they do look into the profiles of jobseekers on social media before hiring to know whether candidates suit the culture of the company. Nadhirah Jalani, a financial controller, says companies check social media profiles of fresh graduates as they often have more to offer as than a resume. “Every time we get a graduate application, the first thing we do is stalk their social media because yes, there is the resume, but their social media postings can tell a lot about a person,” she said. While employers are turning to social media before employing a candidate, experts warn young people need to present themselves carefully on social media. Dr Tama Leaver, a social media expert from Curtin University in Perth, says new employees need to be aware of how they present themselves. ”If you identify yourself as an employee of a particular company, then often in that act you become subject to that company’s social media policy,” he said. Dr Leaver believes social media statuses become harmful when the people engaging and commenting are your co-workers. He believes these interactions change the purpose of social media where the original intention was to enable to connect people to engage socially. Dr Leaver says it is important for people to think about the consequences before posting on their social media sites. Farah Jaffar, a student at Murdoch University, believes social media often presents only partial truths about a person. “A first impression does count but some people might adopt a different personality on social media as compared to real life,” she said.