Social Networking
Social networking refers to the connection of individuals or organizations. Connections can come from education, values, ideas, financial exchanges, friends, web links, and more. A social network is the ties that connect varying individuals. Social networking services use software to build one’s networks online and form communities of shared interests, activities, and friends.
Employers are going online and searching for their candidates. They are using Facebook and MySpace to influence their hiring decisions, and sometimes have even revoked a candidate’s employment after viewing his/her online profile. It is extremely important that you adjust your privacy settings on your social networking accounts, and make sure that there are no photographs, comments, or activities that you would not want a boss, or grandparent for that matter, to see. Also, remember that friends of friends have access to your account—and there are loopholes for employers to view your information. The safest way to make sure that you remain in good standing with an employer, is to not put objectionable material on your account (photographs, activities, piercings, alcohol, blogs, comments, etc.). What you post on a friend’s page, or what a friend comments about on your page, is all fair game for the employer to use as evaluation criteria.
Some examples:
MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Skyrock Blog, Friendster, Orkut, CyWorld, LinkedIn, LiveJournal
For more information please log-in to your Job Finder account and access the Social Networking Privacy podcast.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: August 07, 2008 10:17:30