This is Bob.
Bob has lost his job, before he even got it. Let's review how Bob lost his job.
First of all, Bob is a college graduate with great work experience. His previous employers have nothing but good things to say about his work ethic. Bob has the charisma and know-how to get a good job done. He is an employer's dream.
Once Bob leaves work, however, this all changes. Bob likes to party. Bob likes to party and blog about his partying, and Bob like to take pictures of his partying so he can put them on his MySpace and Facebook pages.
Bob's potential boss has discovered Google. This is where Bob's life as he knows it take a turn for the worst.
The boss has discovered Bob's penchant for beer bongs and loose ladies. Bob's boss also discovered that Bob likes to blog about a variety of topics (including his jobs), and he doesn't say very nice things.
This is how Bob has lost a job before he even got it.
I have shared this wonderfully tragic story with you because Bob isn't the first person to suffer the consequences of living a private life very publicly, and he certainly won't be the last. According to monster.com, 77 percent of employers are googling their employees. The popularity of social networking sites makes our lives outside of work that much more accessible. Some people are outraged that Myspace and Facebook have become factors in their value as an employee, but others argue that if you are willing to share your life on the internet, you should be willing to come to terms with employers using this to their advantage.
With internet prowess, comes great responsibility. You may not like your boss googling you, but it is an undeniable truth that it will happen to you in the future if it hasn't already. So what do we do? Do we sacrifice our ability to network online? Do we stop writing our blogs and trade them in for the trusty ol' diary? Do we throw caution to the wind, post our questionable
Disclaimer: The picture used above is not actually Bob. Well, he could be Bob, but I don't know for sure if he is or not. Picture Credit: Getty Images
This is how Bob has lost a job before he even got it.
I have shared this wonderfully tragic story with you because Bob isn't the first person to suffer the consequences of living a private life very publicly, and he certainly won't be the last. According to monster.com, 77 percent of employers are googling their employees. The popularity of social networking sites makes our lives outside of work that much more accessible. Some people are outraged that Myspace and Facebook have become factors in their value as an employee, but others argue that if you are willing to share your life on the internet, you should be willing to come to terms with employers using this to their advantage.
With internet prowess, comes great responsibility. You may not like your boss googling you, but it is an undeniable truth that it will happen to you in the future if it hasn't already. So what do we do? Do we sacrifice our ability to network online? Do we stop writing our blogs and trade them in for the trusty ol' diary? Do we throw caution to the wind, post our questionable
( but oh so fun and exciting) photos from last weekend's toga party, and hope our boss doesn't know how to access Facebook? The decision is a personal one, but if you are looking to stay fed, clothed, and housed it's probably best to make sure your privacy controls on these sites are airtight.
This is the age of the internet and it's time we realize that privacy is not what it used to be. Remember that it's not just you and your friends looking at those pictures or reading those blog posts... it's potentially the entire world.
Disclaimer: The picture used above is not actually Bob. Well, he could be Bob, but I don't know for sure if he is or not. Picture Credit: Getty Images
3 comments:
So true, Nyla! This happened to me two years ago when I was applying to work at a boutique. I was searched on MySpace and they made it known during the interview process, but luckily, they liked what they saw and I got the job. So sometimes it can work to your advantage, depending on the situation. If you are working in social media, employers may like for your online presence to be known. Regardless, toga parties, beer keg pictures.. probably not the best way to represent yourself online. Poor Bob.
Hahaha, good post! Nice approach. I like that you mentioned facebook pictures of toga parties! Another important thing to consider, is how in comparison to this being from the small scale of a normal person's internet history, but, how about with celebrities? or even more importantly, with political figures? How about when the public Googles them to get more random background knowledge about them, and judges whether to vote for them or not based on those incriminating pictures, haha! Just a thought!
Very well put. I actually made a very similar argument in my blog post for this week if you haven't already checked it out: "Where Will We Turn?"
I also suggest that although there is a need to adapt, it can be a positive opportunity to present yourself in a positive light and gain exposure.
Christine-great point about working in social media. This discussion is extremely important for those going into a field that utilizes social media such as public relations because employers will look for students/candidates that are well-versed in social media applications and know how to manage their own online identities.
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