HOUSTON – Job recruiters said the social media flap that embarrassed and cost an NFL draft pick millions hurts people in the business world on a regular basis.
Between finals, social media is often an outlet to students inside the University of Houston Student Center.
It’s a place to like, share and post funny moments. However, it sometimes costs people jobs or job opportunities.
“It matters,” said Lauren Labauve, a business development manager for Murray Resources. “In this day and age, it’s a way that people use as an outlet. It’s a way people check to see what you’re up to and they do tag the profile.”
In the case of recent NFL draft pick Laremy Tunsil, someone allegedly hacked his profile and posted an old video of Tunsil smoking a bong through a gas mask.
It cost him millions of dollars.
“What happened to this guy is a real thing,” Labauve said. “This happens in regular business every day.”
Murray Resources helps people find jobs and say some employers actually require applicants to use social media.
Those employers then use it to weed out candidates. Some employers search years of archived posts.
Profiles with profanity, strong political leanings, bashing old bosses, or school often cost people jobs or job opportunities, Labauve said.
“It matters,” she added. “It’s important that you’re putting yourself in a positive light.”
Some soon-to-be graduates understand.
“We saw that with the news post about the (veterinarian) who posted a picture of herself shooting a cat,” UH senior Nancy Reece said. “That stuff (is) really important.”
“Every day I go through that thought process and think if someone sees this who is important, is it going to be bad for me,” Ashlin Stedifor, another UH student said.
Tunsil gets another chance. However, recruiters insist others might not be so lucky.