It is actually rare that prospective employees have an open account but when it is open and accessible to the public, then permission is implied for ANYONE to view the contents of the page including employers. I certainly don't ask for passwords or view private information, only what people have left open to public view. It can be very revealing. It should not be offensive to you, you should just ensure that your facebook page remains closed to anyone who is not your friend, especially while looking for a job.
I am an employer for a small business and can not afford to waste time and money training employees only to find out they are not at all what they portrayed themselves to be in the interview. If simply checking a facebook page gives me information about someone that would make me not want to hire them then it saves time and money and it is worth the 2 minutes it takes to check. I have only given this information on this site so that those seeking employment in a highly competitive market can learn how to best present themselves. It does not take much to change the settings on a Facebook page, and it could be the difference in whether or not you get a job.
(I absolutely do not believe employers should have access to Facebook passwords or any other private social networking information.)
neelieyelik: As an employer I always give a return call or letter to every one of the people who have been invited to an interview as soon as the decision has been made and the new employee has agreed to be hired. I believe if I have asked you to take the time to get dressed up, stress out about what you are going to say and how you are going to present yourself, drive to the appointment, wait for me to be ready for you etc... then at the very least I can call you back whether you got the job or not. I am sorry that you have had that experience. I think it should be a priority for employers, but I also work in small business and make it a priority when going through the hiring process.
May 30, '12 by AmylynetteBSNIt is actually rare that prospective employees have an open account but when it is open and accessible to the public, then permission is implied for ANYONE to view the contents of the page including employers. I certainly don't ask for passwords or view private information, only what people have left open to public view. It can be very revealing. It should not be offensive to you, you should just ensure that your facebook page remains closed to anyone who is not your friend, especially while looking for a job.
Jul 12, '12 by crrowellI am a soon-to-be-graduate from Nursing School (August 3, 2012). My mother is an HR manager, and thus, I have been raised to dress appropriately for the occasion (i.e., business suit for interviews). My question for you is this: When choosing a suit, do I need to stick with neutral colors, or does that matter? I have a very nice suit that I use for presentations through Honors in Nursing at my university, but the blazer is a very bright pink with black pants. I get rave reviews during my presentations for my attire (I even placed in a presentation competition because the judges appreciated my dressing for the occasion). However, is this appropriate for an interview? My mother (the HR manager) was actually the one to pick out this suit, stating that "business professional does not mean dull". I was trying on a solid black suit and a brown suit. Which "style" would be more appropriate for a nursing interview?
Nov 10, '12 by MrChicagoRNPatti, Great thread that you started. I'll be reviewing resumes this weekend, and a clear coherent resume is mandatory. One resume I was asked to look by a colleague didn't clearly state the person was an RN, and had some confusing work and education details. And for the others, while one doesn't do a new resume for every application, consider tweaking the objective statement to indicate any interest in that clinical area. Cover letters are a great tool also.not.done.yet likes this.