A few years ago, I read that HR indeed does google potential candidates. As a result, I regularly google myself to see what is out there.

Like so many others, my FB page is just for family and close friends. To open that information up to a stranger would be an invasion of privacy for these people. While there is nothing on my page that is one would call objectionable, I still don’t like the idea of opening up other people’s personal lives to an unknown person. People’s privacy rights require respect.

I ONLY have people I know added on Facebook and it is on private in every way. (I show up in search listings – so I make a note to make sure my picture is normal, I can only be seen by friends – not networks). It would definitely be an invasion of my privacy for someone to force* me to show them my profile.

*Forcing is exactly what this is. If you refuse, it will look like you have something to hide, which lessens your chance of getting a job. Since you are there for the sole purpose of getting that job it means you are backed into a corner.

I have a Twitter account that I rarely use, but I have set it on private too (recently).

However, I think that asking someone to show their personal Facebook page in an interview actually opens an employer up to potential trouble. It’s a little bit like asking a candidate, “How old are you? Do you have kids? Are you married?” – but less directly! You wouldn’t ask a candidate if you could take a peek in their purse, just to get a feel for how prepared they are for any circumstance… Would you?

I’d answer with a direct but confident “Oh, I’m sorry – I only use Facebook to communicate with friends and family, not for business,” and then direct them to my profile on a business-centric site, such as http://www.mypath.com or LinkedIn.

If the employer is asking me to bring up my page right there in the interview instead of searching on my name on their own time, I assume they’re asking me to login and let them see the full monty, and then it seems to count for nothing that I had the presence of mind to utilize privacy settings to maintain a professional image.

I don’t maintain FB under my own name. I do lock it down for only invited friends. I do share personal opinions, tastes/recommends for music, books, food, etc. – bottom line is I maintain LI for professional perusal, FB for personal known friends. I think one must carefully moderate where you post what.

I would refuse (politely) any request for access to social sites other than LI.

I’d really want to know why the person wanted to see my FB profile, and then professionally and respectfully decline.