JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It used to be background checks and drug screenings were the only things you had to pass after nailing a job interview. But these days, social media has become another litmus test for job seekers -- and it's legal.
If you think because you create strong privacy settings you're in the clear, think again. Some employers are pushing the limits on social media privacy when it comes to hiring.
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"I got on it as a way to get back together with friends from home, not to share my life story with the world," Brian Collins of Jacksonville said. "It's private, that's why my settings are that way."
Yet some employers don't agree. So when it comes to the law, some states are pushing back. States such as Illinois and Maryland are looking to curb the access companies have to the Facebook accounts of potential employees, something Jacksonville workforce expert Rose Conry agrees with.
"If you have that much question about a potential employee, why would you want to hire them anyway?" she said.
She said currently some employers require the applicant to friend an HR representative or log in to their account during an interview. Others, especially public agencies, require applicants to submit their login information to get the job.
Still, Conry said it's better to be safe than sorry. She advises creating a second Facebook account for professional purposes. Then, if you're asked to login, you're in the clear. She also said never to share your passwords because of identity theft.