Facebook. It’s a different thing to different people.
Some use it as a procrastination crutch; others as their outlet for self-expression.
For those graduating and moving on into the world, it may be a big red “A” stamped on their forehead rather than a harmless source of time-wasting.
Today, that big job in the sky will have their HR people trying to find an online profile to get a little more insight into the applicant pool. That pic of you taking down a beer bong will probably not show well.
Back in the day, Facebook insulated college students from the rest of online traffic rather nicely; without a college e-mail account people couldn’t register. But, Facebook wants to be “Master of the Universe,” and to do that they must accept all demographics. Now we can be “friends” with our grandparents; this by itself really kills the buzz.
And then, life goes on a little bit. We leave Western Michigan University and get a job, maybe, we do other things and we just collect “friends.”
No one really puts much emphasis on Facebook maintenance. A few years go by and we share all our little adventures with a potpourri of former professional colleagues, old bosses, former love interests and a small collection of “friends” we may or may not have slept with in the past; sometimes it’s hard to remember.
Of course, de-friending people makes us sad. Facebook is a happy place and we wouldn’t want to strike a discordant on-line note.
Unfortunately, we have to deal with all of this. Especially if we want a real job. It may be worth some time to untag ourselves from the less becoming pictures and maybe sanitize the comments on our wall.
The f-bomb usually won’t play well with others checking our info out, especially self-important HR staffers. Mom might not appreciate it as well; she might not even make us a “top friend.”
Now, Facebook is useful. It might be the best networking tool out there today. The catch is that the way we (some of us) use it in undergrad should not be the same as when we leave and prepare to leave.
The way it will have to be is a little boring. Sure, we will get to update our status indicating that cute thing our cat just did.
Everyone we know will want to hear about that silly cat. Posting a note about our drunken “incident” that got us a lifetime ban from the casino, well this might be a better text message. Yes, a tamer more respectable Facebook is what the world is demanding of us.
Somewhere in this is a lesson. Perception is more powerful than reality. If a potential employer sees that pic of you and your beer bong they will not hire you.
If however, you have a nice page of you in professional attire and a lot of information about your special-interest work as a volunteer kayak instructor; this sells a little better.
It may be best not to advertise our weaknesses while we play up our strengths.
About Carman
Good article! Far too many people simply do not understand the far-reaching damage they’ll do to their careers and even personal life by posting really, really stupid things they’re doing.
Documenting a drunken binge? Stupid.
Posting it to Facebook/Myspace/YouTube? Career Death.
Talking privately to a friend about someone you don’t like? Acceptable.
Documenting that conversation? Really dumb.
Posting it? Social suicide!
I have clients who use the internet. I have a facebook page, albeit private, and absolutely nothing on there would be information I’m not comfortable sharing. I don’t post updates. I don’t make comments. I don’t add anything that in any way, shape or form indicates a political, religious or social comment. I don’t need clients to find reasons to shy away from my services because they might not agree or they’ll feel I’m not “in sync” with them.
Personal expression is great, I really am on-board with freedom of speech. I support this completely. However, the reality is that despite having a right to do something, you don’t need to exercise that right just because you can. Sometimes, shutting up is the better judgment. You’re welcome to be as free and as expressive as you wish. Just remember that despite how much you think you have a right to be yourself, other people will be judging you 24/7 for the rest of your life. That employer who won’t hire you because you have photos of you being passed-out from last Saturday? Yeah, that employer has a right to judge you and say “No thanks, you’re not our type.” The person you’re dating? Yep, they’ll crawl through your website and see what kind of person you are, and if you’re judged unsavory, you’ll end up on the “REJECTED!” list. If you badmouth your employer on Myspace or Facebook or the likes, you WILL Be discovered and you will almost certainly lose your job. Remember mom’s advice: If you have nothing nice to say about someone, say nothing.
This ain’t discrimination. This ain’t unfair. This ain’t being overly sensitive. This is reality.