Social Media and getting hired at a major
 

As with most americans, I have a facebook page. From time to time I'll post something that perhaps not everyone agrees with, or is in perhaps bad taste. I was told by someone that I should delete anything and everything that might "offend" someone because the airlines will look for you on social media, and "offensive" stuff might ruin your chances. I've never posted anything I really think is offensive, but there are some political posts, and perhaps some off color items shared (Like a Sam Kinison video of his stand up).

First, what exactly are they looking for? How deep of a dive do they actually take? Has anyone ever heard of someone not getting hired due to their social media shenanigans?

Next, does deleting ones facebook also delete everything I've ever posted on FB? Any other suggestions?

Tnx

I’m not a FB expert, but I believe that you should check your privacy settings and “lock it down” as tight as it will go. Like only allowing “friends” to view your page. As with anything on the WWW, if you post it, you should expect it to be on there forever...

As previously said, make sure it’s as private as it can be. FB has come along way in that regard. Some people you can’t see anything except one profile picture and nothing else unless your friends with them.

As far as airlines looking. I don’t know this for certain and it’s just my opinion, but I think the whole creeping on FB is way more to do with the 9-5 Corp America jobs. Literally every pilot candidate has some stupid stuff on their FB from time to time.

I honestly don’t think airlines pay much attention to this. Now executive or management positions in the corporate world? I think so.

I have the privacy settings as high as possible, but supposedly stuff can still be seen by people that know where or how to look.

I'm probably over thinking it, but I don't want anything to ruin my chances.

Lots of people like to like an airline's FB page. It appears many don't fully understand that those recruiters can see your profile once you do that.

I know of several cases where airlines chose not to hire folks after diving into their social media profiles.

Good place to start...

Avoid inflamitory posts on public groups... especially any aviation related (the airline recruiters are tuned into those).

Don’t wank about airlines on your own page.

Avoid racially and politically charged posts as well as posts that could be interpreted as disperaging to women and the LGBTQ+ communities... especially when applying to companies with known affinities towards specific communities (there’s a list of NGPA, OBAP and WAI Airline attendees published yearly).

I treat my Facebook page like LinkedIn. I have a friend who would post very biased political posts on his Facebook and used his real name. He’s at Delta now so it didn’t stop him.

Change the name on your Facebook profile so it’s not easily linkable to you.

I don’t have Facebook or any social media. Wonder if they’ll find this strange when they can’t find anything on me.

I am not quite sure that this is entirely correct. I am not a FB expert by any means but I do believe that no one can view your posts if it is set to friends only or custom. If you choose not to set it to friends or private, then quite literally everyone who wants will have access to your private sentiments, information, likes and so so comment of the day. Point in case, lock down your profiles, people or risk inadvertently tanking your odds at getting your dream job.

Honestly I wouldn't even bother with Facebook anymore. The only useful aspect for a traveling airline pilot is using the check in feature on longer overnights to see if any friends/colleagues chime in nearby.

Several years ago (like 10) in college, Facebook used to be this amazing place to share all of your experiences of drunken debauchery and other weekend tomfoolery in a somewhat private environment that wasn't taken too seriously. But those days are long gone. Over the years it went public and has devolved into a wasteland of click bait time wasting crap, odd political/philosophical posts from acquaintances you don't really care to know on that level, and people trying to desperately sell ridiculous makeup/skin products. The only reason I still have one is to validate my bumble account.

To the OP: I would change my name to not reflect my full name and make everything private as you can. If for some crazy reason an airline asked about it during an interview I would just tell them I occasionally check it to keep up with family pictures and funny animal memes.

Regardless of your privacy settings, Facebook will turn over everything to another fortune 500 company advertising partner, including your private messages, and browsing history. They deny this is happening, but they are lying. Company's are not going to pay millions to Facebook for its garbage advertising platform, if it didn't have perks.

I’ve decided this year to reduce or totally abandon social media, maybe just keep FB to family and close friends/work groups.

Delete the inflammatory stuff.
Lock down the privacy settings.
STOP making religious and political posts. All they do is annoy people anyway!

Dude, did you just say tomfoolery?

He is working up to "Shenanigans"

Does anyone know if deactivating your account removes posts from other pages?

I agree that THE MAN has it in for us, but who would ever be hired if this were true? I cleaned mine up to the best of my ability before my interview, but if FB and big companies were in on some grand scheme then they'd have found so much garbage on me I wouldn't be hired by Wal-Mart let alone a major airline.

Pretty much everybody has done stuff (and to a lesser extent then posted it on social media) they'd rather not discuss during a job interview, it's called being human. While I agree SM is pretty much a complete waste of life and we'd be significantly better off without it, I don't think today's applicants need to be too worried about their private posts if for no other reason that most people are in the same boat.

Be responsible, look at your SM from the perspective of a potential employer. Clean it up and privatize, and most applicants can move on to worry about more important things.

oh, so you're a racist.

thanks for letting us know! I just find it funny how racist people are fine with being ignorant in "private" but then want to run and hide whenever spotlight is shined on them.

Social Media and getting hired at a major
 

Eff off millennial. How’d you glean that from his post? Sam Kinison was hysterical by the way. Weenie.

lol. I wish this place had a like button sometimes.

sam kinison was a dirty racist. he's the very definition of a basement dwelling loser you'd find on 4chan. crying about homosexuals and african people isn't funny.

and since when is millennial an insult?

And use proper capitalization in my presence.

sorry, i tend not to care if racists like you and the op care about the way someone types on the internet

I watched Fat Albert as a kid, so I’m not racist, just a serial predator

Really? You started a thread complaining about affirmative action! Troll much?

it was a hypothetical question used to see what some pilots actually thought about the way that airlines hire people.

calling others trolls just because they have a different opinion though? classy.

Wow, that escalated quickly! On topic... if you like an airlines page that administrator can see your page even if you are locked down to “friends only”. If you join the airlines recruiting page, fully expect your page to be scrutinized.

With the potential of a kerfuffle.

Everything is racist.

Especially when idiots these days have no idea the word ‘bigot’ is the correct word to use every single time their idiot asses use the word ‘racist’ instead.

Stupid millennial

Since millennials moved back into mommy and daddy’s basements....

Dinner ready in 5, jr..... Mommy finished ironing your skinny jeans as well. Oh, and she just packed your skateboard into your backpack for your next trip, bro..... Along with a nice juice box, of course.

(What an obnoxious generation. Should have been called the Irritating Orange Gen.)

https://www.investopedia.com/ask/ans...-years-ago.asp

This is why many have moved back in...
The cost of housing has outpaced that of regular inflation by nearly 50% while wages have barely kept pace with inflation. A dollar today has significantly less buying power than 20 years ago, especially in regard to housing. Those are facts. How can you blame that on millennials?

I won’t be even get started on the cost of education (over 300% increases) and the fact previous generations have made the bachelor degree a new high school diploma for many entry-level jobs. Before you cast stones at an ENTIRE generation, please take the time to understand some history.

(I’m not, however, defending college “safe-spaces”, that’s just ridiculous.)

“Liking” a page on FB does not give them access to your FB page. They see whatever the public sees.

#triggered 😂

Lighten up Francis. You're going to be in trouble when you don't have a word to describe a real racist. Finally to answer your question, it became an insult when so many of them have taken on the ignorant beliefs you've just expressed.

I work for the county and they use the police department detective backround investigators that have pretty much unlimited access to facebook to include private pages or anything that is on lockdown.

That being said the majors do not have that kind of access, but the FAA probably does. Keep your page as private as possible and they should not be able to see anything.

I have heard of employers making you log into your facebook on their computer and let them go through the entire thing.

Not a single thing you just posted is correct.

And I wouldn't want to work for a company that makes you log into Facebook so they can go through it.

So what Federal law allows the FAA the right to circumvent a company’s privacy agreement with its customers? Law enforcement may have access but I’d bet (hope) a warrant would be required.

Get out a dictionary and look up both words. You will see I am right.

If people are gonna be idiots, they should at least try to be somewhat literate.