Your footprint may be big, but is it complete?
➔ You’ve probably heard many examples of how some job applicant’s past has reared its ugly head to make life a living hell… not to mention putting a crimp in someone’s lifestyle… and job prospects.
And in this social-media-infested world your past peccadilloes – no matter how seemingly insignificant – may be just enough to sink your job chances. Your most minor indiscretions may be blown out of proportion or just plain, flat-out misinterpreted.
Can you scrub your past?
In case you haven’t checked your calendar lately, it’s now the 21st Century and in this day and age, it has become so easy to check on your credentials… and more. No more fudging on your resume. Attending a college is not the same as graduating and today’s HR people – even the less sophisticated ones – can uncover your dirtiest little secrets.
And your personal flops as well as your professional shortcomings are readily available. That time when you had one too many adult beverages at that bachelor party a couple of decades ago? Guess what. That photo is now in your personnel file.
Luckily more and more hiring managers today are searching for a candidate’s behavioral skills – not just the technical ones. And fortunately for you, just as it’s easier to check on your credentials, it also may be more difficult to uncover your behaviors.
And this all works in your favor. Your behavioral skills typically give the older applicant a leg up on all the younger aspirants.