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MySpace Generation Meet Old Space Generation follow this blog post

posted by on July 19, 2007
MySpace Generation Meet Old Space Generation

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who just graduated from his MA program and we were discussing the ramifications one would have if exploiting oneself online via MySpace, FaceBook vs. LinkedIn or Xing.

Given facts:
Most of us know anything we email out is already non confidential and anything we post online is there for ever! Check out http://www.archive.org and pull up cache on almost any website by date.

So many precautions have been mentioned in many forums seesawing back and fourth why joining these non-professional groups was not worth professional suicide. But I must ask, is it worth social suicide? I don't think so and here's why?

 Grant it, if you join these communities and divulge your entire life including how you painted the town red last night chances are you set yourself up for being blacklisted, but what's wrong with moderating yourself and limiting the amount of information? Besides, statistics show people like people with a little mystery! (Okay, I made that statistic up, but it's true in most cases).

My point here is this. Take a gander at the number of subscribers on these networks:

 Subscribers:
LinkedIN: 12 million +
Myspace: 55 million +
facebook: 30 million +
Xing -  14.1 million +

Which generation do you think will be running those boardrooms in 20 years and will be searching for talent on these boards? Those social networkers!  Could social networking be your main meal ticket into your next job? It's already starting to happen now, so why not?

On a second note, it wouldn't surprise me if MySpace and FaceBook developed a better job model than Monster.com in the next few years targeting future business leaders in school then reeling and hooking them on social searching.  

Moral of the story: Be wary of the leaders of today, but be prepared for the leaders of tomorrow.

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5 comments

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  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I disagree with Katie McVey's "Opinion" vs. relying on the legal "Fact" provided by corporate attorney's within a Global organization. If an employer does not hire someone based on forming an "opinion" of the individuals charachter from their "My space" open themselves up for discrimanatory hiring practices.

    Global entities who afford and utilize their legal councel expertise they have on staff are the companies that all others seek after for benchmarking. We're the one's that you'll see SHRM.org, Workweek, etc... writting articles about our views on the Facebook, myspace, etc.... It's a completely different vsthan a small company with less to lose. Relying on only "Opinion" isn't a good HR practice without supporting legal knowledge or HR policy and facts; it could cost the coroprate entity in the end being this casual.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Read here: http://www.ere.net/blogs/CyberSleuthing/DEFAULT.ASP?LISTINGID={8B9DBD7C-D55E-41DB-B541-5B2F40CFACDC}

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Dakotta,

    Thanks for raising this subject! Everyone has made good points here already. I've had this same conversation with my son, who is in the middle of his college life, and speaking to him as a recruiter, I advised him to clean up his myspace page. He debated the issues with me (he is good at that, he is a communications major), and finally has decided to keep it 'clean'. I won on a personal level with him because I pointed out he shares the same name as his father and whatever he puts out there under his name, could also come back to 'bite' my husband. I also used the argument that you point out about everything being on the web forever and if he wants to work for any decent corporation in the communications department, he could be hurting his future.

    Now that I have rambled, I think if I were to work for a company that blocked me, as a recruiter from networking on these sites, I would have to take my work home and do it from my personal computer. I am with Katie, I will continue to use these sites for leads.

    Brenda BL934@msn.com

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    As far as I'm concerned, it's a waste of time and money to have an "Internal Legal Counsel" addressing the issue of My Space, Facebook, and all the other social networking sites out there.

    As a researcher for a recruiting firm, I think these sites are wonderful and have great potential in assisting individuals in regards to their professional careers. I use LinkedIn and My Space on a regular basis, which means I also have an account on both sites. I know that any information I put on these sites is searchable and can be used for or against me.

    People have to be smart enough to realize how these sites work. If they are that concerned about it, don't create a profile at all or take advantage of the security options these sites have. However, I do agree, networking sites are growing in more ways then one and they have the potential to be better then any major job board currently out there. And I will take full advantage of that?.If you don?t, it?s your loss and my gain =)

    When I graduated college, I was advised to Google my name and "Clean Up" my Internet appearance...Welcome to 2007.

    Katie McVey Bridgeway Search Group www.bridgewaysearch.com

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Fortune 100 Global Corporation(s) have internal legal councel who have already address this issue. A corporate who does not descriminate in hiring practies will prohibit recruiters or hiring authorities of viewing potential candidate myspace, facebook, or similar websites based on the potential legal risk of reprecussion. Think about it: If a candidate is to know they were not considered by the employer due to the employer viewing one of these "Social" sites, they could question if discrimination of this employer has taken place in the employers hiring decision. It's a candidates personal life - if you as the employer are not asking questions in the interview on race, gender, sexual preference, or religious beliefs... why would you then have the legal right to explore this information outside of the interview on a candidates personal profile?