Social Networking
The number of social networking sites continues to grow. I must admit that I have never been a social butterfly and for most of my life I have been painfully shy. I am not sure how this occurred because of come from a family of six children. I was the youngest child and there is a 12-year age difference between me and my oldest sibling.
I have been hesitant to join any of the social networking sites because I am concerned about the loss of privacy. I am uncomfortable with my personal information sitting somewhere in cyberspace. Because we are living in an age driven by technology, it is almost impossible to avoid being part of some kind of online network community. There are advantages to being connected to so many in social networking communities. With unemployment still sinking into the abyss, this can be a way of marketing yourself to potential employers. There is a trend in human resources to find out more about potential employees by seeking out their MySpace or Facebook pages. The information you post on your page can reveal the kind of employee you would be. Hiring managers found information on social networking sites to solidify their decision to hire an applicant. Here is some frequently cited positive information:
- Candidates background supported their qualifications
- Candidate had great communication skills
- Candidate good fit for company
- Candidate displayed professional image
- Candidate had great references posted about them
Social networking sites can have a down side. It is amazing that people forget the information and pictures they post can be seen by a potential employer. A number of things can send up a red flag to potential employers. Nude pictures, vulgar language, crude jokes and displaying other unprofessional behavior can have negative results. For the younger generation they are not thinking about the long-term effects of the information they post. A careless decision can cost them admission to college or loss of a job. Recently, in my area a couple of young teachers were fired because of photos and comments they made on a social networking site.
I have set up a profile on a social networking site but it is not very creative. I am still hesitant to share information about myself. My 12-year-old daughter has volunteered to help me set up a creative and professional profile. I have made it a priority this week to get started on my profile and use this to network with other professionals.