How indiscreet online postings can cost you a job

Revealing information about your personal life and thoughts can be a perilous venture if you are hunting for a job. In fact, it could squelch any chance you have of landing that ideal position you are seeking, so beware and be prudent about what you post online. That's the primary finding from a December survey undertaken by Microsoft that included human resource and recruitment professionals.

The survey found that 70 percent of human resources respondents in the U.S. had rejected job applicants because of information found through an online search. But among consumers, only seven percent believe online data has affected their efforts to get hired--an obvious disconnect and indication of a need for greater understanding that online postings can be dangerous.

Peter Cullen, chief privacy strategist at Microsoft, told Informationweek.com that job applicants should expect human resources professionals to conduct online searches. He said the extent to which online research has become formalized in corporate policy should prompt people to revisit their assumptions about privacy and online reputation.

The survey found that while 63 percent of the consumer respondents expressed concern about the impact of their online reputation on their lives, less than half said they consider their reputations when they post online and the vast majority don't believe that online information affects their ability to get a job.

On the flip side, Cullen said "having a positive online reputation can be just as influential [as having a negative one]."

"What we hope people take away from this research is that an online reputation is not something to be scared of; it's something to be proactively managed. That means not just removing (or not posting) negatives, but also building the online reputation that you would want an employer (or friend or client) to find," Cullen said in a blog posting.

Job seekers should give this survey and their own online conduct some serious thought.  As we well know, there is a second life online, with people of all ages and backgrounds sharing their positive and unflattering aspects of their lives through social networks, micro-blogging, photos and videos.

For more regarding your online persona:
- see this Information Week article
- see this Computerworld article

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