Tweeting and Posting all the Way to Unemployment
It’s no secret that social networking has become an integral part of our society in the past few years. After all, you know you’re not really friends with someone until they’ve accepted your friend request on Facebook or the now less popular MySpace. And if you want to connect with co-workers and clients, it’s a given that you need to have a Linked-In page that you update semi- regularly. Social networking sites have become our own personal calling cards, and it’s often that someone will look at your page and make a snap judgment of the kind of person you are based on your pictures, status updates, tweets, etc. Come on, you know you do it, too. We’ve all been sent a link by our friend who just met a guy and was doing some ‘light Facebook stalking’ just to scope out what his friends look like, what’s he into, and check out his 200 tagged photos. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s the world we live in, and I for one, have no issues with using the internet as a means to meet or reconnect with someone.
But it doesn’t end there. My mom has a Facebook, my shrink has a Facebook , my boss has a Facebook, and my boss’s boss has a Facebook. At any given moment, any of these people can log in and see what I’m thinking, what I did over the weekend, or who I’m dating. And therein lies the dilemma in relation to one’s career. What you post on these sites can and will produce a negative effect on your professional profile.
According to a recent careerbuilder.com survey, 45% of employers are now using social networking sites to screen potential employees In an economy where millions of people have lost their jobs, those who are looking should keep this is mind when they decide to post about how it’s 4pm and they’re just rolling out of bed with a massive hangover on a Tuesday. And those who survived the chopping block at work should also heed the same warning. You may not be linked to your boss directly on a site like Facebook, but chances are you are linked to one of your co-workers, and that can be just as dangerous. Keep in mind that it’s not just your buddies who will see your status wishing that your boss gets hit by the green line.
And maybe I’m noticing it more because I’m stuck inside at my desk in the middle of a beautiful summer’s day, but the last thing I want to see from people I know who don’t have jobs is how they’re enjoying a beautiful day lounging at the beach. I have many friends and colleagues whose professional performances did not warrant their layoffs, but unfortunately lost their jobs anyway. I’m not advocating that you sit locked up in your house all day in your pajamas with your laptop sending resume after resume without rest, but keep in mind that letting the rest of the world know that you’re not out there pounding the proverbial pavement tirelessly doesn’t make you look any more desirable to an employer or to someone in your professional network. Being laid off is awful, especially for those who have families to support. It’s also tough for those who are left at their jobs having to do triple the amount of work for less money. So let’s not shout to the world wide web how much you’re enjoying your ‘vacation’ from the work force (and yes, I saw someone who was laid off refer to their unemployment as a vacation) while the rest of us are struggling to either hold on to our jobs, or replace the ones we’ve lost.
If you’re looking for a job, or have a job you’d like to keep- check out the statistics below courtesy of Yahoo finance on why candidates did not get hired at prospective jobs. And remember, if you need to blow off a little steam about your job, it’s better to whip out the old diary then to let the world know how you’re feeling.
- Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 53 percent
- Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 35 percent
- Candidate showed poor communication skills – 29 percent
- Candidate made discriminatory comments – 26 percent
- Candidate lied about qualifications – 24 percent
- Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 20 percent
- S. Grace
August 21st, 2009 at 10:16 AM
A great posting that reminds us that the line between work and personal life blurries. Not a big deal. I think even in the past, higher paid profesionals used to socialize with their colleagues very often (as a way to network). It is just that today it is done at more levels, and maybe even more often.
It is all about marketing who you are and how you want others to perceive you. Since the lines between work and personal life blur, we need to give out a consiset message.
As for facebook / twitter: sometimes it is a good tool. It is a great small-talk enabler: talking to my professional colleagues about their last vacation trip, or their kid’s achievements.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:37 AM
A term that gets thrown around way to often is “funemployment” That is just disgraceful especially to those who were good hard workers and laid off due to foreces beyond their control.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:49 AM
I don’t think coincidence has anything to do with this phenomenon. Look at the people making fun of their unemployment and the reason for it.
I’m not saying that everyone who got laid off at the beginning of the year deserves it, but most of the ones that were needed were able to find a job right away.
Could it be that the ones posting things like the ones you mention, have been out of work for a long period of time (6 months or more) and don’t seem to be getting any closer to finding one?
Attitude is everything, a bad attitude runs your life.
Kudos, excellent blog.
August 24th, 2009 at 9:43 AM
An interesting, preemptive approach to employee tweetering by th NFL
September 14th, 2009 at 9:29 AM
Seems like we are not the only ones annoyed by this.
Here some other angle.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/visibleman/2009/05/keep_your_tweets_to_yourself.html
March 12th, 2010 at 10:23 AM
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