anywhereisbetter

About a month ago, there was an article in the Times about the growing trend among companies to Google job candidates, and how what they find can sometimes hurt an applicant’s chances of getting hired. One employer said that a look at an applicant’s Facebook profile revealed that his interests included “smokin’ bluntz,” while others noted finding a virtual photo essay in inebriation when looking up another recent college grad now looking for work. The gist of the article, of course, was that what we make public on the internet can be detrimental in ways we haven’t considered, and we should be judicious in our decisions.

I’m not into “smokin’ bluntz” or maintaining a photo record of the alcohol I consume. (Not anymore, anyway, but such an album would be increasingly uneventful.) I have, however, recently applied for several jobs, so my first reaction to this story was to rush to each of my own personal profiles and check for potentially controversial content. After a quick review, I am happy to report that, unless you are offended by jokes about the French Revolution or really hate Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, my profiles are pretty safe. And although I might be snarky, callous, and even slightly vulgar from time to time, I have decided that the contents of this site are pretty ok, too. Besides, what employer has the patience and time to plow through pages of my vapid musings? I think we all have better things to do with our time.

After scrambling to make sure my own ass is covered, I began thinking about other questions that this article begs, but does not address. When, if ever, is someone’s web presence counted positively in the job search? Is the very act of having a Myspace profile a detriment one’s chances of finding a job? It’s conceivable to think that there are employers out there that might appreciate those dumb history jokes in my Friendster profile, after all. Or maybe that hiring officer is a huge fan of Stax soul; could I get an interview just so we can talk record collecting? In fact, why couldn’t we use these profiles as additional tools in the job hunt? Wanna look sophisticated without being pretentious? Just take Being and Nothingness off that list of favorite books and add The Unbearable Lightness of Being instead. And make sure to include at least one—but no more than three—foreign films as your favorite movies. Employers love this kind of subtle cosmopolitanism. Just balance it out with a big dumb blockbuster (listed as a “guilty pleasure,” natch). And what HR rep could resist a candidate who lists “MS Office,” “Attention to Detail,” and “Written and Verbal Communication Skills” as some of their interests?

Now that we’ve all tailored our Myspace pages to appeal to the boss, we can ask the bigger question: to what extent is this kind of cyber-stalking ok? It’s common knowledge that everyone Googles everyone else (how did we ever screen potential dates before the World Wide Web?), but are the rules different for employers? Just because the personal details of a person’s life are more accessible online does not make the Internet exempt from professional ethics. I suppose it’s good to know if your employee is running an online black market for office supplies, but is it really important—or appropriate—for the boss to peep into your personal tastes, height, and relationship status? I’m tired of being discriminated against for my love of Herman’s Hermits.

I guess this is an issue for which we haven’t yet established social boundaries. But I’m predicting that, as these informal background checks become more widespread, people will begin to question their propriety. I don’t know where the line should be drawn, but until it is, I’m not taking any chances. I’m de-friending Attila the Hun, and replacing “Workin’ For The Weekend” with “She Works Hard For The Money” as my Myspace theme song. Better safe than sorry.