Can a potential employer get around a PRIVATE Myspace/Facebook page?

Question

I'm applying for a job and a friend of mine who already works for the store told me that the boss checks Myspaces and Facebooks. She said they don't care if you have one, but they care if it has bad stuff on it. Well, I don't have anything bad on either of mine (I don't smoke, drink, or anything like that) and I don't have any bad pictures. In fact I hardly ever update either of them. But anyway, the e-mail address for my Myspace is different from the one I gave my employer, and it's not even under my real name (I have the first name as Alissin and the last name as Wonderland) so there's no way they could search for it with my real name. And my Facebook has my last name first and my first name last. Both are set to private and you have to be my friend to use it, and I have set my Facebook to where if you search for me it won't even come up in the search listings. My question is, can an employer get around looking at a PRIVATE Myspace or Facebook page if somehow they did find me? It's not that I have anything bad on there, I just don't want them looking at ALL my personal stuff (like pictures of my cats, my fiance's dog, my nieces, etc.)

Answer 1

they might.. i mean if the boss knows someone who is great with computers and who knows how to get around that stuff then its most likley.. thats the thing with facebook and myspace its like your life on display for the world to see.. i closed down my facebook cause i hardly use it.. i still have my myspace and its private unless you add me as a friend request.. im thinkin of closing that too cause alot of people mainy job companies do searches on there employees.. its creepy but they do it..

good luck <33

Answer 2

Well, it's not entirely impossible for someone to get around the privacy settings.  It's done all the time by hackers and whatnot.  As a matter of fact, my ex had his friends' list hidden on his myspace.  Suddenly, after about a month after he added me to his list, one of his friends began snooping around on my page (I have a tracker).  After being confronted and claiming that it was accidental, and he called her on it, telling her that his list couldn't even be seen by the outside world, she admitted that she knew how to find it using various keywords and links.  In fact, her description was very simple...and disturbing.

But here's the deal.  You said that your pages aren't connected with the your resume e-mail, and can't be found in a search.  Double check that by having some of your friends look you up using your real name, just to be sure.  Although if potential employers ask you point blank if you have a Myspace or Facebook, you shouldn't lie, your privacy is just that:  your privacy.  Don't openly say anything about it unless she asks.  But, just to be safe, be sure to never EVER complain about your current job on your social pages.  On the offchance that a potential employer stumbles across your page, it just looks bad for you.  I'm guilty of this myself, but I'm not looking for work at the moment either.  If I choose to, all negative remarks about my old jobs are history.  lol

If you're worried, and want to appease your boss, you can always set up a bland account with some real info. that you don't mind sharing.  If she comes across it in a search, her curiosity will be appeased, and you won't have to worry that she'll wonder why you don't have a page since it seems like most of the world has social pages these days.  It'll take some of the stress off your mind.

I wouldn't advise removing social pages.  I recently read an article somewhere that said that it's better to set your own page up because if you've ever had pictures up on the web, hackers can take them, or other personal information and use them for whatever they want.  In a backwards sort of way, you're better off having your real life up there for the world to see...I guess social pages sort of make hackers feel like messing with your stuff is less worth the effort or something.

Answer 3

If everything is set to private, your boss has no more power than your mother or even me at looking at your page. I've tried tons of times to get around private pages and its impossible. If you don't use your real name or email, its going to be almost impossible for them to track you too. Honestly, I don't think they would put that much effort into trying to see your page, unless you gave them some crazy reason to want to -skipping work, showing up intoxicated, etc. I think you should be ok - don't stress it