Employer Snooping in Cyberspace

Don't look now, but you better think twice before posting content about yourself on the Web (something bloggers like A3G are already too aware of).  A recent article from New York Magazine explains an expanding trend among employers to surf the web for prospective employees' virtual identities as part of the job application process.

By participating in "social networking websites" such as Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook, prospective job candidates are unwittingly giving potential employers an open window into their personal and private lives.  This is because through these websites employers are able to search candidates' personal profiles and pictures. (That being said, members can also restrict who can view their profiles on line by adjusting the settings on the website).

So don't be too surprised next time you go to a job interview and the interviewer starts by asking, "Now, Brian, for how long you have liked taking quiet strolls by yourself in the park, been obsessed with the music of Nine Inch Nails, and like crying at movies?"

Hat Tip: Cynthia Nance

Posted by:  Paul M. Secunda