Really? Who do they think we are? OK, once more, who do they really think we are. We’re young, we students, we’re working to be, in all honesty, where they are. We’re trying to get our resumes right. We’re trying to get our grades right, and beneath it all, we’re trying to have some fun wedged between it all. We’re in college.
In high school, MySpace was the hottest thing, and I can clearly remember why it was: because girls put raunchy pictures of themselves on MySpace and it was all about being friends. Yeah that was then, this is now. I’d never upload a picture of myself with no or limited clothing onto the web unless, say, it was a picture at a pool or something. Bottom line is it would have to be a candid, not me posing in the mirror holding my own camera. I’ve come to learn that the web is a very dangerous place when it comes to what you put up. MySpace became the phishing central and it became impossible to enjoy the site without harrassment from fake users and users who already became the victim of phishing. I came to hate it because of its fakeness. It wasn’t real interaction anymore. I wanted to interact with people on the web the same way I do in person. So for that reason, I signed up for a more mature social network site: FaceBook.
The first thing I noticed about FaceBook, which I liked, was the loss of usernames. Instead, it was the person’s real name. It was a lot more mature and people there used it for what it was intended for and once I got to college, I really seen how it could be used to promote events, causes, and keep in touch with those high school classmates that went to different schools. What I started to hear more and more about as my use of FaceBook increased was that future employers actually look at your FaceBook, to scope you out so to say.
It’s kind of scary isn’t it? Almost like some sort of Big Brother program being run where you get scoped out before you even come to an interview. I’ve been asked many times how I feel about this and while some people tend to bring up the First Amendment, right to privacy, and a whole list of bullshit that they think can justify them uploading whatever they please to the internet, the right to privacy definitely gives the right to privacy but nothing on the internet is private. In fact, the internet among all else is used more to publicize ideas and the latter. So if someone posts a note on FaceBook reliving their worst night of being wasted, they have now chosen to publicize this and whoever’s eyes may land on it is a gimmick. With websites like Google and Yahoo! and other, more advanced search engines, nearly anything can be searched out and filtered (including this blog). It isn’t rocket science.
So one day (night actually), while I was at a group interview for a summer job, the question came up: “Do you think it is fair that employers look at an interviewees profile on social networks such as FaceBook and/or MySpace?” We all had a choice of Agree, Strongly Agree, DisAgree, Strongly Disagree, which were four squares on the floor made out by tape. At first, I hesitated, waiting to see where a majority of the people went to, but then, I guess that bold side of me came out and I stood on “Agree”. It was just me, by myself and everyone else, who surprisingly were all girls, stood between “Disagree” and “Strongly Disagree”. They all gave their points on how people should be granted their privacy and seperate their personal lives from their business lives. Then they looked at me and asked me why I was the only one standing where I was. My point was basically this (and while no one in the world may agree with me, understand that I am definitely entitled to my own opinion; while some out there may back their counter-opinion to mine with experiences of their own, I feel like this is how I feel and how I live):
In the workplace, we need real, honest people, and employers must always feel like they really know their employees, that’s what will make any and all businesses work. In interviews we present our possible future employers with all of our good assets – what positive qualities we present, what we bring to the table, etc. Well, I am comfortable enough with myself that I can tell a future employer my faults, my weaknesses, and where I feel I can learn to become better at, all the while keeping my professionalism and my smile. If an employer of mine decided to look at my Facebook, there isn’t much I’d be ashamed of. I am honest, and I hate to lie, so I’m frank, often times blunt, but people (good people) appreciate my honesty. I landed that job over the other people who didn’t agree with what I said. I spoke to the interviewers honestly, and told them how I really felt. When they asked about my FaceBook, I told them what I had: pictures of me being me. I’m a 19-year-old college student with no criminal record, a high school diploma, and good work ethic and values. I work hard and pick up my own slack, though sometimes, motivation drops. I’m a bit messy, but I get the job done. Now, can you find any of that on my FaceBook? No. So what were you wasting your time trying to find?
I think a lot of the people who get caught in these awkward situations are people who obviously don’t understand. Have you ever went over your profile on a social network after adding someone to your friends list and thought, I wonder what I look like from the outside? I know I do. I portray myself exactly as I really am. For those that may be reading this that are about my age range, I suggest you do the same. Partying in college is fun. We all enjoy the freedom, but if you don’t party 7 days a week, don’t upload pictures of you only partying and drinking; show your priorities, show your normal life, that same camera at the party can work on a Tuesday morning while you’re waiting for class. Life is more than just partying, just like your employment rides on more than just you at work.
(C) Alex D. Auguste 2009
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