Your Online Identity (Or Is It Okay To Have Party Pictures On Facebook)
June 10, 2008 – 3:20 pm | by Daryl TaySo on Sunday night I was talking to Rubin and said “Very disturbing. If I Google you, I get your Facebook profile and your profile picture is that of you at a party”. So we had a long conversation where we generally had opposing views. I said it mattered, he said it didn’t.
Monday I came into the office and found (to my surprise) Pauline here, starting a five month internship. Somewhere in the middle of the day she said something to the effect of she has to watch her Facebook pictures now that she’s at work.
That got me thinking, is this caution over ones’ online identity and online reputation restricted to us in the communications field? Or should it apply equally across the board? Are employers in the banks less likely to Google their prospective employees than communications professionals?
I don’t have empirical evidence for this, but my gut says no, they should be equal. As much as you want a proper resume that indicates your prospective hire isn’t an ex-murderer, you’d probably want to run a search to make sure your wealth management employee doesn’t have a history of being in the press for the wrong reasons, or that the lawyer you’re going to hire for your firm isn’t being slammed online for bad legal advice by disgruntled people online, or that the last house your prospective architect designed for another client didn’t cave in on itself. You get my point.
I’d say that at at best, when someone Googles you, something positive comes out. At minimum, something neutral that doesn’t indicate you’re a poor performer. At the very least, finding something about volunteer efforts is better than pictures at a club. Rubin thinks differently, ie that not even appearing in a Google search is good. No news is good news?
What about you? What do you want your prospective employer to find on you when they Google you? Or do you think they won’t Google you? Is your online identity an important part of your resume to manage? Are Google searches on prospective employees more likely to occur in one industry over another? Share your thoughts!
Tags: online identity, online reputation, reputation management
19 Responses to “Your Online Identity (Or Is It Okay To Have Party Pictures On Facebook)”
By Jael on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
heh…. now I always screen the digital photos my friends take of me… less I get spotted in an unflattering angle. My brother and I had this discussion - on what employers will think… if all they see on your facebook are photos of you pissed drunk.
well… I think its a choice. If you choose to dabble into social media, then you lose annonymity… and perhaps need to upkeep your online persona. Very individual. Some people segregate work + ‘personal life’… some employers too. And some industries (like advertising) don’t really care if you get pissed drunk, coz that’a a norm.
By yin on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
it would explain why i own so many different blogs and changed the first-letter to my name. the current job i have puts me in the limelight (company-wise) and i’m a bit creeped out for people to know my personal/social side/life.
right now whenh i google myself, my work profile comes up from the company site and certain articles that i wrote when i was interning at a magazine. it works to be unpopular.
i like leading an otherwise simple life.
By Daryl Tay on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
@Jael: heh heh quickly commenting before 4pm I see! Yeah it is a choice. I go with “better safe than sorry”! It’s not as if the employer will really tell you “Sorry we didn’t hire you because all we see are pictures of you piss drunk”. It’ll just happen!
@Yin: Oh YOU. You know how hard it is to keep up with you? Hey at least turning those stuff up is good! It could be worse
By yin on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
lol. i’m hard to track. at times
learnt my lesson from a ’stalker’ episode a long time back. it pays to have a VERY COMMON nickname. hahahahaha!
By Yuhui on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
I’ve definitely become more conscious about my online identity in the past year, and that of my social circle too. Example: I don’t post photos of myself (though I can’t control what others do).
Aside: I absolutely will never post pictures of underaged children, both male and female, even if they’re fully clothed. This came about after I read a scary article about pedophiles.
There was an article about this in the papers recently (Saturday?). It said that people have generally been doing things like taking silly photos of themselves. The difference is that the exposure has never been as public as what we have today, thanks to the Internet and social networks.
By Daryl Tay on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
@Yuhui: Die. From my photos with my boys where I do volunteer with, I might be a pedophile!
In all seriousness, agreed about the silly photos. And videos (Tammy, anyone?). Perhaps not enough people realise that these seemingly-harmless acts will stay with them for life as the internet never forgets!
By ssumin on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
I think an online identity is good to have. yes, no news is good news, but in this era where information is so easy to find, not even appearing on google search almost makes you look one-dimensional.
In the context of work, I’m sure employers are well aware we all have a life and a personality outside of work. As long as the pics/comments we post don’t fall outside the boundary (erm, like paedophilism, racism, and other inappropriate isms), then an online identity is one way to showcase to your employers (both present and prospective) your interests and balance in life, not to mention the other intangibles like whether you write well, how you think, etc.
So the unfortunate reality is your online identity needs to managed, for work purposes at least. Think it boils down to how you use the various tools available. Facebook is invariably personal (think party pics, friendly chatter), while blogs can come in v handy in sharing your thoughts on topics that matter.
By tinana on Jun 10, 2008 | Reply
So long there is balance. Your bosses know you party/club/pub; it’s not a sin. But doing a search on your name should include other interests.
Also, never get drunk in public.
By Daryl Tay on Jun 11, 2008 | Reply
@ssumin: I like the perspective, esp the one-dimensional comment!
@tinana: and don’t get drunk in private if there are cameras/cameraphones nearby!
By Hisham on Jun 13, 2008 | Reply
@unique-frequency @yuhui - Die! i posted a photo of a little girl on my blog!
By Hisham on Jun 13, 2008 | Reply
oh yea, i LOVE your new layout.
By rubin on Jun 13, 2008 | Reply
BOO YAY! I WIN.
EH. STOP talking about me online goddammit. Which part of I want to be un-google-ble do you not get?! I like my online privacy.
Anyway, I stand by seperating personal life from work life and that your facebook profile becomes an issue when your job is sensitive in nature (ie. politics, media, etc). Your banker boss is not gonna care as long as you have good work conduct and performance (TRUE STORY).
and… if you look past the current photos, you’ll see my biathlon photos (BALANCED LIFESTYLE!)
when was the last time you RAN huh. eh heh heh.
By Daryl Tay on Jun 14, 2008 | Reply
@Hisham: Thanks!
@Rubin hey at least I didn’t link you! I don’t need to run. Awesomness needs no running!
By David Yeo on Jun 15, 2008 | Reply
The last time we were looking for a new hire to fill the role of a web designer, I went on Facebook and LinkedIn. I think we just need to understand that stepping into social media makes equally naked when we leave our home. It is simply common sense to decide what to put up and what not to. You are as transparent as your profile says and to anybody. To me nothing is really private when it goes out on the Net, if you want it personal dont put it out there. Thats why they call it “public profile” on Facebook.