It is very simple.

Don't post anything online that you don't want someone to find.

If you have a unique name, try not to use your real name in any part of your online footprint. Generally, try not to do that even if your name is common.

If you aren't a racist, felon, pedophile, etc... I don't think you'll have an issue, but who knows. It depends on the job you're going for.

Sigsense, that story doesn't pass the smell test. I'd say the simple explanation is either that your friend wasn't qualified, or other applicants didn't swing their dick around.

quote:

Originally posted by apprentice:
Just a random question, but what happens these days if an employer wants to check your social media but you don't have any?

My guess is I'd be a head scratcher since I have excellent credit, a clean record, but no social media.

The employer gets a thing back that says "No social media profiles found."

I got a copy of my background check for my last job, that's how I know this.

I do have a Facebook account, I just deactivate it if I know I'm going to get a background check.

My old agency required that if you applied for a job (sworn or non-sworn) you provide your information on your social media pages including the password(s). They were prohibited by law from running credit checks unless the position was enforcement (sworn) related, but they would provide the release for access with no disclosure that you were not required to comply...that provided some interesting discussion. // If you said you didn't have one (they would generally imply you were lying and either dump your application or put it last for a detailed review) If you failed to disclose an account they were able to locate (even old closed accounts), your application would be dumped. //// They once dumped an application because the single mother did not list the father on the birth certificate for the child. When asked, she said she did not know for sure who the father was and declined to have the suspected father submit to a DNA test.

The local 911 Center conducts full electronic background checks (including credit checks) on the dispatchers every six months after employment. The stated reason is an employee may 'be up to something' (defined as selling, improperly releasing information, received enforcement action or hanging with the wrong crowd). They have a very high turn-over rate and a biatch for a manager (nope, I don't work there).

we do the credit check as well as the social media check.

basically it takes forever to get a job at my place. you take the test. they score the test a month later. they then task me to do social media checks on the top 10 applicants. i save everything i find that is public and note any bad things. months, and i mean months later, we start the backgrounds and they are asked to provide their social media accounts. if we see something was deleted, we ask about it. but usually if i found something months earlier, we would skip them and not waste our time.

once i found pics of an applicant smoking weed and drinking excessively, but the mayor wanted him interviewed because he fit a certain profile and when asked about the deleted posts from facebook he got angry at the interview. well he didn't get asked back.

I am periodically on a national tv show and each time I have an extensive background check and especially my FB page is reviewed and I have been told ahead of time that I need to avoid controversial subjects....I actually tried to get me username on here changed several years ago to “hide” from Google searches.

quote:

Originally posted by SIGSense:
We all choose to believe what is believable or not.

I choose to not believe things which are obvious- obvious- lies. Your friend lied to you. There is simply no way on God's green Earth that that exchange took place. No. Way.

quote:

If you would have asked me four years ago to believe that a sitting President would use the NSA, CIA and FBI to spy on a future Presidential candidate, I would have said no. But here I am a changed man. Times sure change.

Sorry, no. This is not the same thing as political corruption. This is a man, sitting in a room with a woman whom he doesn't know, trying to get a job, asking her about anal sex with her husband, and supposedly, instead of calling security and having him escorted out of the building immediately, she simply responds to his question.

The day will never come that I would believe such an obvious lie, not even for millisecond.

Don't post tall tales in this forum. Please exercise better judgement in the future.

I am not in a business where extensive background or credit checks are routinely done (with the exception of some car dealerships), hence the question.

quote:

The employer gets a thing back that says "No social media profiles found."

Could that raise any red flags? Such as wondering if you've got something to hide?

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Your friend lied to you. There is simply no way on God's green Earth that that exchange took place. No. Way.

quote:

Here you are correct. He may have lied to me. Do you have friends that you have known for more than 25 years? I have many. When someone you have known for that long (and has never lied to you) tells you about something they experienced, do you believe them?

Sorry, no. This is not the same thing as political corruption. This is a man, sitting in a room with a woman whom he doesn't know, trying to get a job, asking her about anal sex with her husband, and supposedly, instead of calling security and having him escorted out of the building immediately, she simply responds to his question.

Don't post tall tales in this forum. Please exercise better judgement in the future.

Let's review what I wrote, as you seem to have misread it:

I posted "He asked the interviewer if his wife liked anal sex." His is a him, as in a male. Male human. Female is the opposite. You wrote that I advised that he was in a room with a woman (female). This MAY be the crux of your disbelief. I don't know. In my humble experience, men talk differently around women (females) than they do men. Especially military men. My friend was interviewing for a position with a defense contractor staffed by 90% males, and all ex/former/retired military employees.

I respect the immense task you have here on the Forum. I am thankful for your dedication to keeping this place safe and orderly. Having said that, what exactly is a "tall tale?" How shall I (or the Forum) know what a "tall tale" is according to you and/or the Forum's etiquette procedures? I conducted a search with no results.

I want to commend you for your efforts on SigForum. I notice and appreciate your attention to detail and relentless determination to ensure a quality product/website.

I’ve heard of employers asking candidates for their password for social media. I’ve already decided no is the answer. They can try to see what everyone sees which is zip unless they’re friends with me. And my job listed is Alaskan king crab fisherman. And I post nothing but meal and dog pics. But I do let out in “private” groups.

The thought of giving admin access to my social accounts feels weird to me.

No, it's not the crux of my disbelief. The crux of my disbelief is the incredibly foul odor emanating from that story. It's a distinctive, unmistakable smell- that of fresh manure.

Male, female, doesn't matter. No one- no one- is going to make such a remark to anyone else in an interview- be they interviewer, interviewee, be they male, female, or a player to be named later, unless they are out of their mind- literally insane.

Thank you for the kind remarks. I appreciate it.

In answer to your question, a good example of a tall tale is the one we're discussing now- something which is so fantastic that it's obviously untrue. You can call me an obstinate skeptic if you wish, in which case, a reliable guideline for you may be that a tall tale is a story not accepted by someone whom you would consider an obstinate skeptic. Perhaps that doesn't help. I suppose you'll need to rely on your own good judgement, which you have in great abundance, no doubt.

*Snipped*

quote:

Could that raise any red flags? Such as wondering if you've got something to hide?

Exactly what I was wondering. According to some here it is no big deal, and I hope so because it really shouldn't be.

If they asked for my passwords they would get a simple answer being that I work as the IT/DC security manager.

I am sorry but being that every security standard that we have to adhere to says that to share passwords or access to any systems are a breach of the standards so the answer is no I am going to presume that it is a trick question to see if I know and adhere to these standards as the job would require.

Asking for passwords, which grant full control of the account, is ridiculous. A more reasonable request would be to ask for access to see everything that is posted, which can be achieved with a request to follow or a friend request.

quote:

Originally posted by bigwagon:
Asking for passwords, which grant full control of the account, is ridiculous. A more reasonable request would be to ask for access to see everything that is posted, which can be achieved with a request to follow or a friend request.

And a reasonable response to that would be the finger.

quote:

Originally posted by apprentice:
*Snipped*

quote:

Could that raise any red flags? Such as wondering if you've got something to hide?

Exactly what I was wondering. According to some here it is no big deal, and I hope so because it really shouldn't be.

I read about this a few years ago. The article cited HR/recruiters/legal personnel and it mentioned that those over a certain age (want to say 40-45+), it wasn't an issue except in specific field like tech. However, that was a few years ago, and those 40+ people are 45+. Going forward, the social media participation saturation and aging/retirement means eventually it'll be expected of most. Kinda creepy, like China's "social credit" score that determines employment/travel/etc.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Could that raise any red flags? Such as wondering if you've got something to hide?

Maybe, but for me, it raises the smug questions about why don't I (and given my age - 50+) sarcastic comments about me being from another generation, you know, the non-tech generation. Then I explain to these rocket surgeons the inner workings of banking technology systems in use today, local and wide area network configuration and installation, and more information about cellular technology and application development than they will acquire in their lifetimes. Then they look on me with disdain for being a smart ass know-it-all.

I have read the anal sex story posted on this forum before under this same topic. Urban legend bravado bullshit. It will never reach cow tipping status, but hey know knows. Is it not more interesting how the same topics keep coming up and the same things get posted?