I was listening to my favorite radio show this morning on the way to work. Every morning they discuss a different topic. This morning’s topic was about being exposed on the internet. They talked about people who’d lost their jobs because of content they posted on Facebook or Myspace. And about how employers are now looking at potential applicants on various social technology sites.
I began to think about my feelings about the whole topic. Should someone lose their job or a job opportunity because of a picture or a status update? I don’t think so. But, it is what it is. If organizations feel they shouldn’t hire or employ someone who does something inappropriate in their personal time, I, alone, can’t change that. And even if I had a million people behind me, it will probably take a long time to change that mindset. Since we can’t change it, we have to accept it and behave accordingly. So, do we change who we are or do we continue being our inappropriate selves and hide it better? Can we hide anymore? When are we allowed to show our personal side?
Maybe rather than hiding it we should begin evaluating what we do in our personal time and what our personal side really is. One woman on the radio show was fired because of a picture of her passed out next to a toliet. She never intended for that picture to be seen by her employer. But, should she have been in that situation in the first place? Probably not. Maybe we could all use a little better judgment.
In conclusion, if you don’t want to lose your job over it, don’t do it. Politicians aren’t the only ones living public lives, we all are now. So, be a professional in your workplace and in public. In short, pass out at home.