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July, 2025

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Employers asking if you have a Facebook on job applications. What do you do?

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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
Basically I'm just a college student lookin for an easy and fun job on a lake this summer. Not an internship or anything serious.

I've been applying and sending in resumes early in hopes of getting the first picks at the good jobs.

Got an application here for a sick hotel. With one problem that I have not yet had to deal with on applications.

It says-

Do you use Facebook? ___Yes or ___No

Do you accept this hotel as a friend? ___Yes or ___No

If yes, how are you listed on Facebook? ___________________




My Facebook isn't too bad but not something I'd want an employer too see. It isn't easy enough to just untag myself from drinking photos and stuff. There's all the comments, and rap music posted on my wall, etc. Just too much to try and clean it up.

I could do any of these things:
1. Say I don't use Facebook and change my name to something they can't find.

2. Say I use Facebook but say I will not accept the hotel as a friend.

3. Say I use Facebook, say I will accept the hotel as a friend, and wait for the friend request. Then if it comes in, block everything immediately.

As of now I'm thinking choice 2 is the best choice.




What have you NS'ers done in the past? This is just one of those things I can see happening on most applications from now on.

And if anyone thinks employers don't care what they see on there...they do! Read this:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/if-youre-applying-job-censor-your-facebook-page




Any opinions welcome. Thanks & +karma.

13 years ago
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tbayskier
Posts: 1149 - Karma: 1,762
say fuck you, fuck off, and fuck off again
13 years ago
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Mr.Turtle
Posts: 3690 - Karma: 96
lying is always best when it comes to these things
13 years ago
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Funkadelic
Posts: 1967 - Karma: 391
Say yes and take the time to clean up your facebook. You're going to have to do it sooner or later when you eventually want to get a real job, regardless.
13 years ago
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,847
Change your last name, Otherwise they'll find
13 years ago
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,464
option 2 gets my vote. but if you don't have massive amounts of swearing on your profile/drinking/drug related pictures, i think you would be fine with straight up adding them. then you could just go with option 3
13 years ago
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,018
just say no
13 years ago
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soulskier
Posts: 17806 - Karma: 3,841
i deleted my facebook while i was job hunting, nothing horrible on there but i'd hate to see anyone skew something out of my favor
13 years ago
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Timmy.
Posts: 507 - Karma: 22
this is what you do if you wanna get paid... future spins
no seriously though, make a "professional" facebook with your full name and only add a few poeple and upload some pictures to look legit, then take your facebook and use a nickname and take your last name and just reverse it for exampple smith htims and then  you dont have to worry about it with jobs or school or creepy ass people  trying to stalk you over facebook
/threads
13 years ago
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paige.
Posts: 1932 - Karma: 926
You could accept them but put them on limited profile. Block them from seeing your photos for sure, it's probably easy enough to keep your wall clean.
13 years ago
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skijunkiedtm
Posts: 9229 - Karma: 61
I believe you can also change what certain people can see on your page, like only let them see your basic info and profile pic. But this may of changed with time line.
13 years ago
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Static
Posts: 8598 - Karma: 3,973
best advice
13 years ago
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,498
do this. then they can't see if its really you or not
13 years ago
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ThundaKilla
Posts: 2864 - Karma: 3,791
is said hotel in Lake Placid?
13 years ago
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TallerThanThou
Posts: 615 - Karma: 13
Option 3.
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
thanks for the responses everyone. i'm thinking of either possibly limiting it so basically all they can see is my prof pic and info

or,

saying i won't accept, and then putting in parentheses next to it that my facebook is only for family and close friends. even tho there's not really a spot to do that.

kinda leaning towards this ^

good idea?
13 years ago
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Uah
Posts: 1104 - Karma: 176
Bravo
13 years ago
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pmw
Posts: 5760 - Karma: 831
for the record, your name is not how they find you on facebook. do you know how many *insert name here* there probably are on facebook?

they find you through email. so just use a different email address and your allset
13 years ago
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Static
Posts: 8598 - Karma: 3,973
yea, tell them about all your special requirements, employers love that.
13 years ago
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.travis.
Posts: 1737 - Karma: 46
If they like your app. enough they will call you for the interview either way and if they ask about you facebook you can tell them that it in no way reflects you work ethic.
I think this stuff is bullshit. I mean a company would probably never hire me if they used facebook as a judge. All my pic are from nights that we went out because that's the only time people take pics. That doesn't mean I'm not a good worker.
13 years ago
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ThundaKilla
Posts: 2864 - Karma: 3,791
i think it would be worse if you lied about not having one, just accept their request.
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
good call. thx.
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
i know right!
13 years ago
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jorb.co
Posts: 2581 - Karma: 468
I had to do this and just said #3, but nobody ever added me anyways. They're probably lurking the shit out o me though
13 years ago
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AwR
Posts: 5148 - Karma: 1,899
this this this this

When I started looking for teaching positions post college, I cleaned up my facebook and still put on the most private settings possible. Luckily I have a very generic name and literally dozens of people with my same name.
13 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8034 - Karma: 27,155

It depends on how badly you need this job I guess. To me this kind of question says a lot about what kind of people you are going to be working for, and if I were you I would run. If my boss ever came to me about anything on facebook I would tell them suck my dick. But thats just my 2 cents.

13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
haha i see what you're sayin but they have 600 people working in the summer months.
13 years ago
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Six.0.Tree-ski
Posts: 4059 - Karma: 67
i would say you check yes you have facebook, and yes you would accept them. dont make it look like you have something to hide from them, who knows maybe they wont even add you. have it cleaned up just incase they do. or just make another one. and like said before, usually its pretty fuckin hard to find based on name, you should have a professional email thats not attached to you facebook in any way.
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
decided i'm just gonna say yes, and i'd accept, and hope a friend request doesn't come in. and if it does, let it sit for hours and do some cleanin
13 years ago
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
I fucking hate employers lurking people's facebooks. It's so fucking stupid, work and your social life should be completely seperate. Keep your profile as private as possbile
13 years ago
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
I fucking hate employers lurking people's facebooks. It's so fucking stupid, work and your social life should be completely seperate. Keep your profile as private as possbile
13 years ago
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FatWhore
Posts: 2213 - Karma: 1,098
Id leave it as it is, everyone has a life outside of there job.
13 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8034 - Karma: 27,155

This is probably the best way to get the job, it will put you above everyone that says no, which they could be using to automatically weed out people if there are a million applicants to sort through. Like, the last job I applied for had 1600 applicants, so there were a bunch of hoops to jump through like providing a driving record, they even said they didn't care what was on it, it was just to see if you could complete a task properly, which like 500 people didn't apparently...

13 years ago
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TRASHY.
Posts: 736 - Karma: 355
Agreed, people can seem absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible on facebook however this doesn't mean they have a poor work ethic. Silly employers.
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
word, i'm glad i did it then, b/c i just filled out the application and it took awhile haha. hope it's possibly worth it.
13 years ago
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caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
Say no, deactivate your Facebook until you are done job hunting (this makes it invisible).
13 years ago
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throatyogurt
Posts: 153 - Karma: 13
i would say you had one but deactivated it recently and just take a break from facebook for a week or two then get right back on
13 years ago
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jamodeo
Posts: 3040 - Karma: 663
you could do a or b but if you decide c you can block tags so any photos you're tagged in wont be on your profile or add them as an acquaintance and they wont see anything hardly
13 years ago
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Timmy.
Posts: 507 - Karma: 22
well good luck with gettin the job then, but remember do future spins get paidClick for larger image
13 years ago
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JayDope
Posts: 6842 - Karma: 408
one of my professors told us to write/say "my facebook has information regarding my family and religion on it, and i would like to keep that information private from my job" and then bammmm
13 years ago
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caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
You can't weed people out for saying they're not on Facebook. I know several people who aren't on Facebook.
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
hmmm. not a bad idea. however, they left no space for explanations haha
13 years ago
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Lucas
Posts: 4882 - Karma: 1,597
I know a kid who straight deleted everything bad months before he even started applying for jobs and the just posted about how he loves to do charity work and volunteer etc....basically anyone who looked at his Facebook just thought he was a saint
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
classic
13 years ago
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steezyjibber
Posts: 15967 - Karma: 11,027
thx dude
13 years ago
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Crossfade
Posts: 745 - Karma: 41

I can see this becoming a problem but for now I think I'm safe.  Starting a new job next month.  /Threads

13 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8034 - Karma: 27,155

They could potentially get rid of you for lying about not being on facebook. I know thats kind of a stretch but its not hard to look someone up.

13 years ago
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Lucas
Posts: 4882 - Karma: 1,597
That being said it was a pretty serious internship he ended up applying for and getting
13 years ago
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Yeezy
Posts: 1652 - Karma: 206
#2, work/social life should not be involved, especially at a lower end job.
13 years ago
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jibmeisterflex
Posts: 719 - Karma: 63
Deactivate? Also first page
13 years ago
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Karkoskier
Posts: 2999 - Karma: 4,662
I was just going to say this. Facebook's privacy settings have gotten extremely specific, you can add them, and change your settings so just their profile can't see your photos, or stuff on your wall.
13 years ago
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