Beware, employers are watching!

Once upon a time, job connections and business deals began with face-to-face interaction. Your reputation was secured and defined by your actions and word of mouth. Today’s world is much more complex than this. The phenomenon of social networking is redefining the way we connect and relate to one another. Social networking allows people a forum to express themselves and connect with family and friends. This is the beauty of social networking. What is often lost on this generation, is that your social networking pages will contribute to the way employers, professors and colleagues view you.

Social networking is now so normal, that people rarely realize that when you post your life online, the whole world can watch, the good, the bad and the ugly. Employers are now screening applicants through their online history, not just resumes. It is being reported almost everywhere that employers are looking into personal history on these social networking sites and search engines. UK’s The Independent reported that “62 percent of British employers are now checking Facebook, MySpace and Bebo pages of some applicants….reasons given by employers included concerns about excessive alcohol abuse, ethics and job discrespect.”

So how do we defend our reputations against prying employers? Is it fair that employers judge us on our college Spring Break romp years after the fact? Fear not, job-seekers. A new service has been created to combat all of the negative things about you on the internet. ReputationDefender.com is a service that searches the internet and reports back in a monthly report what is lurking on the web about you. For only $9.95 a month, you will have monthly reports sent to you detailing everything about you found on social networking sites, blogs, and even YouTube and Flickr. If you find something damaging, the service will “destroy” this information for only $29.95 an item. That dream job may not be out of your reach!

Once you land that perfect job, where is the line regarding privacy? What information is fair game in a lawsuit, workman’s compensation claim or sexual harassment?  California law student Zack Frost thinks that it is only a matter of time before your online history is standard in court. “When you enter the professional world, it is important to assess what you are saying by having these pages up. If you choose to keep your pages open, be sure to take the proper steps to keep your information as private as possible.” When it comes to legal cases, Frost believes it is entirely legal for the court to view your sites as evidence. “In court we are charged to bring to light any evidence that can get to the truth, many times this will include information you have online.”

There are many opinions on what is ethical to look at in regards to your employment, but it seems the employers and lawyers are moving with the times. Remember that once you post something online it is going to be around and available for a long time. Your reputation personally and professionally is always going to be put into question, so make sure you think about this the next time you post pictures and comments on your pages!