During the search for internships I have recently become more and more aware of my online media presence, and whether or not it could effect my ability to obtain an internship or meaningful employment. Prior to my current relationship I had done some online dating - it's hard to meet people in a new town, and Seattle is known to have one of the best online dating scenes in the US. Profile - deleted.
In my early twenties I had a Myspace page. I only ever kept it alive for a few photos I had been too lazy to take down - oh, horrors! There was nothing incriminating, but definitely some rather awkward photos. More troubling was that some of my friends have rather poor taste in what they feel the need to post on my profile. All this still would have been no problem if the site hadn't magically disabled my privacy settings without my knowledge. Once again - deleted.
I have an active blog (obviously), a Twitter - although I am currently using the AIMS Twitter more often now as the Publicity officer, and of course I have a Facebook. My Twitter and blogs are open to the public. My Facebook is not. I have previously worked for government contractors and learned early on to never state negative remarks against an employer or share proprietary information online. I simply feel that allowing my Facebook page to become public would be like sharing my family photo album with my boss. Yes, it's cute to sometimes show you pictures of my puppy or a nice family reunion. Sometimes however, I don't feel the need to show the world the bruise on my knee or the mud fight I jokingly got into with friends. It's also about security. If I don't know who you aren't, I can't speak for your intentions. I don't strangers or possible predators to know my whereabouts.
I believe most people are like me, and have nothing to hide, just a sense of privacy to preserve, so why are employers trying to invade this space? In my previous blog post I added a section detailing what to do if an employer asks you for your password. In a Huffington post article it states that 37% of employers now check Facebook. Bozeman, MT made headlines by requesting passwords for bus drivers, but eventually caved under pressure. More details of the article can be found here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/20/employers-use-facebook-to-pre-screen-applicants_n_1441289.html I like how this article mentions the Facebook privacy officer being opposed to this practice. But with our modern methods of vetting employees, where do we draw the line?
Here are my thoughts:
Any level of security clearance will require passwords to be relinquished. This is national security, so remember that government related businesses also may talk to friends, family, etc. It is unlikely to change.
Regular companies often ask to "friend" you on Facebook. This is a practice I am much more supportive of, as I can monitor who is viewing my profile. I still retain the rights to hide information I view as private, but the employer is able to get good feel for the potential employee.
Have public profiles. The whole point of employers asking for online profiles is to get to know the candidate. Let them know you. Not allowing any public online presence can easily seem like you are hiding something. Don't look guilty when there is no need. Create a Twitter, or an alternate Facebook or some form of media that you can add to your LinkedIn profiles.
If you want it kept private - don't access it at work. Don't use work computers or cell phones for private business. If it is employer provided, they generally have a right to know what you are using their technology for, and to monitor it is some manner to make sure this use is appropriate with both the law and company policies.
LinkedIn is a different story, which I will elaborate on soon.
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