The job market as we knew it is changing and the change is affecting how we blog, how we interact online. 
With the introduction of social networking sites such as MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin, plus with us posting to our blogs; what we feel, what we think, what sites we link to and what we believe, is no longer being viewed by just a select few but possibly by “private eye” type companies hired by potential future employers, or even our current employer, to spy on us.
Today’s Lesson
Although Google and Facebook are usually the spots where potential employers or clients look for information about us, if a professional social networking surveillance company is hired, no stone goes unturned.
Take, for example, Social Intelligence Corp (a division of RivData), who describe what they do as follows:
Social Intelligence Corp solely generates reports based on employer pre-defined criteria, both positive and negative. Negative examples include racist remarks or activities, sexually explicit photos or videos, and illegal activity such as drug use. Positive examples include charitable or volunteer efforts, participation in industry blogs, and external recognition.
Companies like this will find all of our blog posts, comments we left on other blogs, links we like, tweets on Twitter and posts on Facebook. Although we can delete some of the derogatory statements/photographs, if we’re in the job pool/market now, it may be too late.
Knowing this is happening can raise fear in bloggers. In fact, we may become so fearful, we either don’t start a blog or if we do, we become blogging sheeple, never expressing our true beliefs, but instead “playing nice” and acting like we don’t have a backbone. If it appears we don’t have an opinion or are wishy-washy on most topics, that could be construed to mean we cannot make decisions. Even small ones.
On the other hand, if we’re outspoken and share views that go against what a potential employer or client is looking for, would we be a good match for them anyway? And…would we even want to work for a company/client who isn’t accepting of opposing views?
I know some of you will say, “I’ll just blog/tweet/Facebook and use a pseudonym (fake name). That way I can say whatever I want”. In actuality that could hurt us. In the event our goal is to build up a clientele or develop a digital footprint which will benefit us in the future, all of the work we’ve done using the pseudonym could be wasted. Plus, not showing any online activity could appear suspicious.
Building a digital footprint and being aware of the breadcrumbs we leave on the world wide web can be daunting, however if done right, it could lead to great success and/or that dream job.
What say you?
Today’s Assignment
If your online activity was investigated, how would you score?
Based on your digital footprint, if you were in the market for an assistant, would you hire you?
Care to share?
For links to other posts on this topic, check out:
- Do You Pass the Social Media Recruitment Test? (Mashable)
- Social Media and Employment Law: Six Things You Need To Know (Monster Thinking)
- Yes, Virginia, HR Execs Check Your Facebook Page (Gigaom)
- Pre-employment Social Media Screening Deemed Legal, posted on Reppler, which is,
…a social media monitoring service designed to keep your social reputation clean and safe.
Photo Credit: Felipe Venâncio
Hi. I'm Barbara Swafford and I'd like to welcome you to Blogging Without A Blog. Grab a seat, share your thoughts and join in the conversation. 
“The pen is mightier than the sword.”
~Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Nowadays, this quote has been changed to “The keyboard is more powerful than a gun. “, which to me means, some of the words which are posted online (or in texts and emails), can, in some instances, hurt another person so badly, they decide to end their life.
When I hear stories of children committing suicide because they were bullied, it breaks my heart.
Because of words, and possibly the inability to defend themselves, the self esteem of these children ended up in the toilet and they (probably) felt like life wasn’t worth living. Maybe they felt worthless. Or felt they were a burden on society. That no one cared about them. Maybe they didn’t feel loved, wanted, needed and/or heard.
Because I haven’t walked in their shoes, I can’t say exactly why a child would take their own life, but the world won’t be the same without them. They will be missed.
Today’s Lesson
Cyber bullying is on the rise and as more young people sign on to social networking sites or start blogging, the problems will undoubtedly escalate.
Cyber bullying won’t go away, but it can be minimized.
When I analyze social networking sites and blogs, I see how problems can emerge.
Let’s look at Facebook. They utilize a “like” button and label those we communicate with with as “friends”.
Most adults can differentiate between real friends and online friends, but can children?
We enjoy the “like” button as it’s a quick and easy way to give a thumbs up to what others are sharing, but children may feel if no one “likes” what they post, then they’re not liked either.
Sites like Twitter with their “followers” and Google Plus with their “circles” use different terminology, but it still comes down to who “accepts our request(s)” and follows us back. Who likes us, so to speak.
It also makes me wonder if bloggers contribute to the problem.
In my travels around the blogosphere, I’ve seen where some blog authors let their commenters rate other comments as “winner”, “loser”, “spam”, and “like”. Although this gives others a chance to quickly share what they think of other comments, it also lets fellow bloggers be the judge and jury.
If children observe adults doing this, might we be teaching them to do the same? To label others?
Although some will say it’s solely the parent’s job to be a good role model and monitor what a child does online, a parent cannot realistically be with a child 24/7. Plus, even if we are doing everything right to raise well balanced, self confident children, a child is more apt to listen to the words of their peers rather than those from a parent.
With cyber bullying, it’s words which are killing or negatively affecting our young people. Words which hurt. Words which others don’t take responsibility for. Words which are often published in haste.
I wish I had a sure-fire way to stop cyber bullying, but I don’t.
What I do have though, is a blog; a place where I can ask you for your suggestions.
Today’s Assignment
How do you think we can help solve the cyber bullying problem?
Care to share?
Cyber bullying resources: