Will Staying Off Facebook Help or Hurt Your Pharmacy Career?

If you’re gearing up for a pharmacy residency or planning to enter the job market, you’ve probably thought about what you should do with your Facebook profile.

For many employers, a quick check of the applicant’s Facebook profile is much like a “pre-interview” to see if it’s even worth investing any time into further evaluation.

A friend of mine told me that he temporarily deactivated his Facebook account just to stay on the safe side, but could this plan actually backfire?

Forbes reported in 2012 that candidates without Facebook profiles might be considered suspicious. Prospective employers may wonder whether they deactivated their account because it was “full of red flags” or “hiding something.”

On the other hand, improper or inappropriate posts could also affect your chances of getting a job once employers take a look at your social media profiles.

At the end of the day, what is a candidate to do? Start by keeping the following things in mind:

• Having a Facebook account doesn’t necessarily hurt your chances of getting a job. On the other hand, not having a Facebook account could raise suspicions that you’re hiding something, given the fact that just about everyone has one.
• You can tighten your security settings on Facebook to only show what you want others to see.
• Don’t talk badly about others on Facebook or use your account as your political platform. You don’t know how your perspectives will be received by employers.
• According to Forbes, the biggest red flags for employers are “drugs, drinking, badmouthing former employers, and lying about your qualifications.” If you are tagged in any of these situations or have engaged in any of them, you may want to consider a quick check of your profile.