More adults-teachers, parents, university admission counselors and prospective employers-are becoming savvy about searching online spaces. Sometimes personal info lives on in the archives of Google and other search engines no matter how much people try to get rid of it. Myspace, Facebook, You Tube etc show unflattering posts of partying and dating.....(from Wall Street Journal 1/2/07'marketplace) Input on info that could be a disadvantage.....

what i do in my personal life is no employers business
only what i do in my professional life.

How is the personal life relevant to the workplace?

SammiJ said:

If you are applying for a job, it matters. The term is, "prospective" employers.
If you are on Youtube doing weird ass funky shit.....would you go to a job interview and say.....I have a film about myself I want you to see??? While doing a home demonstration of "JackAss".?
[Edited 1/4/07 22:16pm]

xplnyrslf said:

not here in canada it doesn't.

SammiJ said:

You haven't been hired yet.....other applicants are conservative types and say, you're doing some freaky stuff....for public viewing.....

xplnyrslf said:

On the other hand, it is Canada.

xplnyrslf said:

what is it you're getting at, i'm sticking to what i said
im not a conservative person at all, and i've had jobs before and been hired by good employers
if i like to have fun on my own time, and bring nothing but effort, hard work and initiative to the table, and i have proof of that, what does it matter what i do on my off time?

xplnyrslf said:

and that means?

SammiJ said:

I'm talking about reconsidering what one posts about oneself on certain sites that affects the FUTURE. If you are applying to a university or a job where your effort and hard work aren't a "given"....ie, no one knows you, and you have yourself on youtube behaving badly, it doesn't matter what a great potential employee you could be. Please read the article I referenced.

SammiJ said:

that's all that should matter

SammiJ said:

Hiring practices. Job interviews. You mean to tell me an employer would hire anyone (in Canada) based on their word they are hard working and responsible and have a video of themselves drunk and wasted and doing something stupid??? on the internet??

xplnyrslf said:

we are required to fill out applications
have often more than one interview
give 3+ references
references of past employers
sometimes a coverletter

we dont have to play "this is your life" everytime we go to seek work.

xplnyrslf said:

Employers would rather check your resume references. They don't have the time of day to go surfing the internet looking for dirt. They want qualified people who they have faith in will do a good job and become a productive employee. Employers have to be careful. There are laws against discrimination and going against the Charter of Rights.

One's personal life is not the prospective employers business.

luv4u said:

exactly

OK....if you own your own business.... say a diner....and, two people interview for a job as a waitress..theoretically speaking..... Both do well in the interview and are equally qualified for the job and there's a dilemma on who to hire,,,,,you actually believe unflattering images from a website when someone was younger won't ever be a problem in life should said employer be computer literate??

xplnyrslf said:

but see now, that's becoming a question of ethics.
should i be hiring people to check out her background like that just to have her serve coffee or file documents? is that really necessary?

xplnyrslf said:

Employers will check references, past employers. They will decide who to hire based on their employment history, education, etc. Human resources get so many resumes for 1 job. They will hire who they deem most qualified for the job including if they like the person and feel they would fit in. What an employee does outside the work place is not an employers business.

And employers are not going to surf the internet checking on all 300 applicants. They want a qualified employee for the job.

evenstar3 said:

In a perfect world, yes. But we don't live in a perfect world.

Some employers will definitely take into account information found online. To believe otherwise, is to risk being naive.

SammiJ said:

You already played "this is your life" on youtube. The point is: institutions are becoming more savvy about the internet and finding out info on potential employees. Info posted in public places is being accessed by everyone, including
businesses and college admissions.

When I worked at Country Kitchen, people who applied for management positions had their credit checked. The company figured that if a person had bad credit, it means they can't handle money and responsibility very well and thus are probably not going to be work out as managers.

Ace said:

I'm sure it is a factor in some jobs, regardless of whether or not it's right

i'm not worried...nothing turns up if you google my name

evenstar3 said:

Neither am I

luv4u said:

Nope. Discrimination against what??? Someone who publicly posts drunken states???
No surfing required. google...that's it. I'm simply informing you this is a current trend in business. The problem is, there's no removing data you regret. kinda like...what was I thinking when I put that weird ass tattoo on my face??? When you post yourself on the internet you need to be aware of potential repercussions.

xplnyrslf said:

no, discrimination against someone who could be very much qualified and fit for the position..
its like saying these people aren't allowed to work, and then what?

SammiJ said:

NO "HIRING PEOPLE"....it's too easy to use search engines.....I'm simply repeating what the article states. If you read the article you can argue until you're bllue in the face. This is the latest data on hiring practices. If you post yourself on the internet in unflattering situations, it could affect you later on down the road.Period.

xplnyrslf said:

Where's the link???

evenstar3 said:

I googled "explnmyslf" which is my myspace logo...I was shocked at how much info could be traced to me.

Ace said:

(ACE!)

SammiJ said:

uhh...they don't work?