Mar 31, 2006 11:00 pm US/Central
Online Networking Could Ruin Your Job Interview
by Shannon Hori
(CBS 11 News)
Everybody is talking about the dangers of online predators on social networks like MySpace and Facebook, but there is another danger.
Digital dirt can trash your job search before it even begins.
Kristin is a MySpace user. When she's not buried in law books or studying for the bar exam, she is most likely surfing the web and updating her online profile.
"I don't have time to go out as much, so it keeps me up-to-date with what's going on," Kristin said.
She posts pictures and comments, and updates people on the status of her job search.
"I'm looking for a job," said Kristin, "hopefully in family law or something around that area."
Pam Dixon is with the World Privacy Forum, and she says that job seekers like Kristin need to be careful about what information gets posted online, because companies are scouring these social networking sites.
"Employers really like them," said Dixon, "because it lets them go beyond the resume."
Potential employers can check out pictures and sift through personal information including your hobbies, political preferences and even religious beliefs.
Dixon said, "It lets them see what you're like when you have your guard let down."
Lauren Pihokken is a Facebook user, and has first hand knowledge of this practice. She and her old boss used to go online to "check out" potential interns.
"I would say she was surprised," said Pihokken. They often found references to drinking, illegal drugs and even photos of a sexual nature.
"You at least get a preconceived notion of someone if you see a picture like that," said Pihokken.
Donald Harris is with HR Privacy Solutions, a company that helps employers deal with privacy issues. He says that companies will gather information about job hunters any way that they can.
"There's no law against searching the internet," said Harris.
While that may be true, there are ways to protect yourself.
When setting up a social site, Dixon suggests that you, "use an alias. In other words, don't use your real name."
Also, try not to post pictures of yourself.
Finally, before posting any comments or personal information, "think of your worst enemy and think of information you wouldn't want them to have," said Dixon.
Experts warn that, even if you delete something you post, it may not be gone forever. Many employers and recruiters use web archive companies who actively record everything that appears on the web.
(CBS 11 News)
