黑洞社区

I must admit I only recently became aware of the term 鈥渟elfie鈥� 鈥� for the uninitiated, it鈥檚 a picture you might take of yourself and post on Twitter or Facebook. I am told that 2014 will be the year of the 鈥渟elfie鈥� and with people like David Cameron and President Obama self-snapping in places as unlikely as the memorial service for Nelson Mandela late last year, who knows what will happen or what amusement it will provide.

What may seem to be harmless fun in cyber space has been highlighted as a potential career killer by a leading business education charity. It is warning students that employers are increasingly viewing content posted on Facebook and Twitter accounts and urged teenagers to set up professional social profiles on networking sites such as LinkedIn instead. Perhaps more boring but not quite so lethal to one鈥檚 promotion prospects, we are told.

The distinction between the term 鈥榖oss鈥� and the term 鈥榝riend鈥� had clearly become blurred in her eyes as she wrote 鈥極MG I HATE MY JOB鈥�

I am not so sure of the ethics of this. Had Facebook or Twitter been around during many a student day in the past there would have been sufficient material to threaten the careers of many leading business men and women I am sure. Also if social media had been around during the heady seventies who knows what might have been self-published by leading members of today鈥檚 Cabinet during their days as members of the famed Bullingdon Club at Oxford. 

This whole topic was raised by the publicity over a woman who launched a Facebook tirade against her boss forgetting that she had included him as one of her 鈥渇riends鈥�. The problem being that the distinction between the term 鈥渂oss鈥� and the term 鈥渇riend鈥� had clearly become blurred in her eyes as she wrote 鈥淥MG I HATE MY JOB 鈥� my boss is always making me do (expletive) stuff!鈥�

He apparently responded in kind by saying. 鈥淭hat (expletive) stuff is called your job, you know, it鈥檚 what I pay you to do!鈥�. He then apparently sacked her. Although allegedly there were some more colourful references she also used.

The head of public policy at Career Academics UK who place disadvantaged students into internships argues that his candidates are encouraged to place more positive material onto professional networking sites so that employers see good things and are not just exposed to the more frivolous or socially challenging aspects of their personality. 

Perhaps it is better that we don鈥檛 judge people at work by what they do in their own time

Is this fair? Maybe it鈥檚 none of the employers鈥� business what folk do in their own time, maybe it鈥檚 an invasion of privacy to snoop on their social media. Perhaps it is better that we don鈥檛 judge people at work by what they do in their own time. After all, those of us who have openly criticised others in the heat of the moment over the kitchen table would be horrified if those conversational nuggets were played back to colleagues and friends by a partner who decided that they needed a wider airing on YouTube.

But be warned, social media does exactly what it says on the tin. It is social, by which I mean it reflects your life both in and out of work and it is media. By which I mean everyone gets to see it if you are not careful.

Next time you look for a job or even want to stay in your current role do not assume that people will not make judgements about you based on what is plastered on your Facebook page. It may not be fair but it is often a reality.

This time last year a leading retailer鈥檚 staff were apparently caught branding customers 鈥渋diots鈥� and last year we were informed that others in a transport business called passengers 鈥渟melly and annoying鈥�. All visible online.This is despite the website warning members of staff to be careful about what they post and who they allow to view their profile.

So, as you proudly review the shots of you photocopying your rear at the works Christmas party on Facebook or tweet how hammered you got on New Year鈥檚 Eve be careful out there - you never know who is watching!

Richard Steer is chairman of Gleeds