Q: Why are some companies reviewing the social networking sites of job candidates?

A: My theory is it links back to what things they value most in college candidates. You don't get to know that on a resume or in an interview. If I, as a recruiter, am not able to get to those things through traditional means, I might say let's try to take a look and find out a different side of this person. A resume tells what you've done, but pictures and statements can tell a little more about who you are. It's a big difference.

Q: What are the skills that recruiters most value in college job candidates?

A: Based on employer and recruiter feedback, the top traits recruiters look for are communication skills, honesty and integrity, interpersonal skills, teamwork, motivation, and a strong work ethic.

Q: What do recruiters look for that could disqualify an applicant?

A: They look for red flags, like excessive drinking and inappropriate kinds of things. It could be statements or blogs that have profanity. They'll say, hey, maybe this is telling us something about his character. It's another means to get to know the real you.

Q: Why is it so important to know a job candidate's character?

A: A Harvard study that recently came out said your personality can get you fired. It found that for every dismissal based on performance, two were based on personality. It's easy to find an engineering major with a good GPA [grade point average], but it's a lot tougher to find one with a good GPA and good interpersonal skills.

Q: Are some types of jobs stricter about what they might find on an online profile than others?

A: Yes, it depends on what kind of industry. Generally, for education, social services, and counseling jobs, anything inappropriate could be a red flag.

Q: What advice do you give students with online profiles?

A: I'm not recommending yanking their profile off, but to take a look at their profile to see if there's anything that can be interpreted as negative or a red flag. Students should just use common sense. Don't put something that you wouldn't you want said about you on the front page of a newspaper.

Q: Is there anything positive that can come out of an online profile?

A: Similar to an e-portfolio, online profiles are an opportunity for employers to get to know you. It can be a great opportunity to showcase all the great things you have done. Students should say, 'Let me think if there a positive spin I can put on this. Maybe there's a blog I have that's helping inner-city youth, or some pictures of me working with Habitat for Humanity.'

Q: What is Penn State Career Services doing to educate students about how their online profile could affect their job search?

A: Our obligation as Career Services is just letting students know about it, either individually or in job workshops. And we have faith in the feedback we've gotten from students already. We're not fathering them, we feel really confident with quality of students we have at Penn State. Information about social networking was also mentioned in the Career Planning News issued in the beginning of the academic year, which contains hot topics in the career world.

Q: Is it legal for employers to review the online profiles of job candidates?

A: There are legal ways to get all public information somehow, but I think if it gets back to students it could be perceived as sneaky because they didn't initiate the information.

Q: Do you think the practice is ethical?

A: That's a tough one. If recruiters are saying, 'Hey, ethically it's important if I'm trying to hire an elementary teacher that's a good person for our kids,' then I'd feel ok about it. But overall I have mixed feelings.

-by Kristin Colella