So I know many of us have a Facebook and Twitter page that we use to keep in touch with friends from high school and college but I would just like to voice some of my concerns on them. We're getting closer and closer to the times where we start to apply for internships and try to brand ourselves so that we can be that perfect candidate for that position. I get nervous when I think about a future employer finding me on Facebook and Twitter and running through my pictures and tweets. I am not one to put all of my business out there on Facebook, but Twitter is something totally different lol. My tweets consist mostly of me replying to something that was said or retweeting something and about 20% of those other tweets are me talking about what I just saw, pet peeves, and other things that display parts of my personality. I get nervous because even though some of the things I say aren't mean or hurtful to me, I don't want it to be taken that way by anyone else i.e. potential employers. I discussed my concern with my friends and we immediately began to increase our privacy settings on Facebook so almost everything was limited if you weren't added as our friend. We also changed our names on and privacy settings on Twitter so that we wouldn't easily be found. We then discussed making a possible new account strictly for professional purposes. You may think we're paranoid but I just think I'm covering my butt. I don't want to miss out on an opportunity because a person hiring me decided to snoop around and see what I was like and didn't like it. Some say that they aren't suppose to look us up on Facebook but let's face it some of them do anyway. I'm just saying be careful what you put out on the web because it's all viral!
The fact that future employers can just look you up on facebook (or any other social networking site for that matter) actually makes me paranoid as well. I always wonder what some of my friends are thinking when new pictures of them drinking and partying are posted but they just leave them us as if they want the whole world to know what they did last weekend. Do not they worry that future contacts will negatively judge them, ruining their chances at something that about be a life changing experience?
ReplyDeleteI would also like to comment on the last statement about how everything you put on the web is all viral and that anyone can see it. I remember back in my high school, for the SGA spring project, they chose the topic of internet safety. Basically they chose a random group of students from each grade and gave them colored bracelets based on how easily accessible their face book was. These colors ranged from white, which would be "I looked for you facebook for an hour and all I could find was your name and your picture, do you even exist?" to red, which was "wow, thanks for telling me your phone numbers and even address, I can find you anywhere now!" Shockingly, a lot of people got red, which is not to say that most of them had their addresses up but they provided a lot of information and had very few privacy settings. The point of this project was to show just how unsafe the internet could be and how you really have to watch what you do because who knows who is looking you us...
I am also paranoid about this as well. I don't use Facebook that much but other people sometimes post too much information on Facebook. It's like what Amy said - do they not worry about who might see it? I think most people forget that they're friends with older adults as well. Many people I know, including myself, are friends with people a generation older. Some things people post on Facebook would probably make older people feel really awkward the next time they see you.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I'm not so sure if making a second "professional" Facebook account would be a good idea. Facebook is supposed to be nonprofessional so making a professional account would defeat the purpose of Facebook. Plus, what would you do on that account?
I’m not so worried about this because there is nothing I really think on my Facebook page that could be interpreted the wrong way or that’s inappropriate though.
ReplyDeleteThe thing with Facebook though is that you can’t just have a professional side since Facebook links the personal side in a click of a mouse. I don’t like this since I like to have different spheres: private, work, school, etc.
I have changed my Facebook settings though. There is a setting on Facebook where if someone searches your name they can’t find you, but I don’t think many people use this setting since then people you meet can’t friend you. You need to friend them.
I also worry about what I put on my Facebook page because I do not want future employers to see something they may find offensive. I set my profile to private as well so that only my friends can see what I have on there. Regardless of what I have on my page, I would not want my boss or co-workers to see it because I like to keep my jobs and personal life separate. I think it would be weird for my boss to go through pictures of me at my friend's birthday party or my high school graduation. I also agree with Melissa that Facebook was not intended for professional use, and that people should not have to make two separate accounts. Facebook is supposed to help you keep in contact with friends and family. I feel that there are better networking sites that could be used for professional use, such as LinkedIn.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that communication over the web can be much easier and more convenient than communication over the phone or in person, however there is a split between professionalism and a social life. Of course there is also a sort of clash between both things, but people have to remember not to be so open with their private things. I have a Facebook like many of us do, and my work site has a Facebook for the company as well, therefore making it easy for them to look me up. I do have all my things on private, but these days it is not hard for companies at all to look at your profile and see what you have on your page. It is important to remember there are some things that should be remained discrete, and if you choose not to be discrete at least acknowledge the fact that it is on the web and on the out and open.
ReplyDeleteThese are good points guys! Thank you for your input. I decided to not make a separate page not only because I want to stay connected with my family but I'm also really lazy. I did change my privacy settings though. Thanks again.
ReplyDelete