Dear readers:
I haven't had a question about the Facebbook and My Space but I've decided to write a column on it anyway. I recently had an alarming conversation with the head of human resources for a large tech company.
Here's what she said. “As soon as we're seriously considering a candidate, I look them up on the internet, especially on the social networking sites like Facebook and My Space. You would not believe what people have up on their sites. It's really the best way I know of to find out what people are really like.”
When I told her I'd be writing a column on this, she looked alarmed. “Please don't. It's a tool we all use and we don't want our applicants to know it!”
An article in the Globe in Mail last year quoted a British survey that found that 80% of the respondents from personnel departments regularly googled their applicants' names before hiring them. Of course, this practice may not be as common in Canada, or for smaller firms, but you need to be aware that what you put up on these sites could be there for a long time. Maybe forever. The wild keg party video, the revealing dress photos, your description of getting wasted may be fun to share with your friends, but a lot less appealing to employers.
If you must share this kind of information, limit access to your site. But, remember, even if you shut down your site, some of your stories may be so legendary that they've been passed around by others and are still out there.
Very few of us could stand the scrutiny of the things we did in our youth. But for your generation, new technology records the events which someday may cause you to wince.
Please consider what you put up on the internet. You may be creating a legacy you don't really want.
Concerned Coach
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Yeah it's just crazy what some people post on their facebook wall and even the open ones. I sure can understand why a lot of people get rejected when applying for a job if the guys hiring have seen their FB account.
ReplyDeleteWe forbid our friends or anyone telling the dumper ANYTHING about what we've done since the break-up and we hide all pics of ourselves online on face book/my space or even delete their accounts. We don't even want them to see pics of us years later online cos then they'll know how we turned out.
ReplyDeleteone of my friends got suspended at school because someone reported his status saying " trying to remove fingerprints from a gun " he told me it was just a joke he's seen worse and they suspended him? is the world taking facebook too seriously now?
ReplyDeleteThe article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your web site and hold checking for brand new information.
ReplyDeleteActually the site was quickly forwarded to several campus group list-servers, but was shut down a few days later by the Harvard administration.
ReplyDelete