We’ve been talking lately about what not to do in an interview, but a recent Internet phenomenon got me thinking about what not to do during your job search in general. As Connor Riley found out the hard way, the Internet is not exactly, um, a private place to express your honest feelings about your quest for new employment.
Connor’s little slip-up is (unfortunately for her) a good example of the catch-22 of our social-networking-heavy culture. You never know if your friend’s friend might have a connection at the company where you’re applying, and while that connection might come in handy when you need an in, it can also ruin your chances if you’re publicly snide about your interview experiences.
Also remember, it’s not always just chance that a prospective employer happens to stumble upon your latest Facebook status update — social-network stalking is a popular way for employers to learn a little more about you before they take the plunge by offering you a gig. Although that can sometimes work in your favor, it's probably best to learn from "Cisco Fatty's" mistakes and confine your job-hunt snark to nonpublic conversations.
Has a comment you made on a blog or social networking site ever come back to haunt you during a job search?
Penhaligon
Buti
Mariano Napoli
that's one of the DUMBEST things ever - one of the MAIN reasons that i don't ever post things like that - you just never know who's going to read something and catch you.
1oh wow, is she not bright. I have no idea why you would put that up for everyone to see.
2I read about this on a blog yesterday and was shocked. One of the best comments (ever, in fact) was "this is an example of Darwinism of the Internet"
But seriously, I don't understand why people think these things are private.
Or that it
doesn't matter what you say because only friends will read it.
3This is not the first story I've heard of someone getting, not getting, or loosing a job over something they posted on a social networking site.
People other than your friends CAN read your info. It's just a bad idea people.
4What an idiot...
5Oops! One of the things I love about Twitter, and which has me checking it several times a day from my webtop, is that people get personal and voice their opinions. I'd much rather follow someone like that than a bland icon that I've never met. But I guess there truly is a time and place for every tweet!
6What's even dumber to me is applying for work you know you'll hate because you'd let greed get in the way of happiness.
7I hear people are accessing facebook, myspace, twitter and all those to check on people.
8What an IDIOT! It's CISCO. The internet is what they DO. They probably freaking MADE Twitter.
People are so dumb.
9I just made a comment about a position listed on a website on my facebook (along the lines of "chatondeneige" is of the mind that if you're going to require a specific bachelor's degree for your *secretarial* position, you should offer more than $1 over minimum wage, and while it's not a job I'd ever apply for (as my bachelors is a BA, not a BS, and it is not a business management degree as this job requires) reading this made me wonder if other potential employers will read that and think I'm a snotty person - it's getting taken down.
10(But seriously, if someone has a bachelor's degree, you ought to offer them more than a server would make, plain and simple)
Hmmm this is making me really paranoid, and I find it pretty unfair, to be honest. People have different reasons for accepting a job offer, and from the moment they are a good employee it's none of the management's business.
Heck, I have days where I hate my job for plenty of very good reasons (and I'm sure we've all been there) - but I still think myself lucky to have that job, doesn't mean I don't professionally and personally appreciate my coworkers, and that I don't spend extra hours working really hard.
If ranting on a random website can help you avoid a breakdown at work on Monday morning, then why not?!
Imo the idiots are the company - this person might have been an excellent employee, and offered a lot to the company (apparently she/he had a resume good enough for them to offer a job!). They should know better.
11Advah, I disagree. If you're going to publicly trash the company before you even work there, what are you going to say or do publicly when you have an actual bad day and a real bone to pick?
12(Real is in actual, not as in literal. Because if there were literal bones to pick at an office, I'd be irritated, too)
^Hahha gross mental picture!
I don't know, I see your point, but from my experience jobs are never what you expect. This person might have realised after a few weeks he actually liked the job/company, who knows? Also, yes it is public, but it's not like he created a Facebook group "This company sucks" or something along those lines. Dunno, I feel it's a bit of a grey line..
13Yes you are right and also agree with commenter # 1, don't even post such a stupid comments on blog, its harmful for you in future.
14Samuel Peterson from Job Listing
It is unreal that she blew a $140,000. scholarship, and took courses such as computer science and artificial intelligence-what was she thinking? Or not thinking? Had to be a "dweeter".
15Big brother is always watching... The fact that Big brother's little minion is almost always watching too just makes paranoia so much more... fulfilling.
It really was not very smart of her to post a comment like that on Twitter though. Especially since plenty of companies have a Twitter account. The era of complete privacy is long gone...
16I disagree silversnowflake. IMO, 'big brother watching' is more akin to the government spying on people in their everyday lives.
twittering/ facebooking/ et.is putting it out there.
they aren't violating her privacy - she put it out there!
17Not what I meant Runningesq. Its obvious that big brother is the government. Its also obvious that things have changed drastically over the past 10 years. Was it likely that an idiot could loose their chances at a job because they posted dumb stuff online years ago? Its just 'interesting' the way that the work force seems more and more like the government. While schooling is necessary for certain parts of the workforce, is someone's credit score necessary? Its true that companies deserve to know the necessary but where does that line stop and why?
If you read the second paragraph of my previous posting, you'll see that I wasn't blaming anyone or anything for HER lack of good judgment.
18Ouch!
19i dont twitter but that seems dumb. i google myself every couple of months just so i know what other people can find about me and luckily its nothing. keep your facebook and myspace privacy high and your tweets to yourself people.
20that's why you make your profiles private, people.
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