Truth. Liberty. And the American Way.

Oooh, I can see my state from here! NJ for the....win?!

Howdy strangers! I know it's been a while since I last blogged, but after a few recent conversations with some friends, it got me thinking. When I originally made a post about 1-2 weeks ago, I spoke about a topic and maybe was a little too honest. I understand that by publicly writing a post, potential and current employers can look at this and make a judgment about me. But why should I have to censor my thoughts? Why is it a crime to speak freely and honestly, especially when I don't name names or places. I'm not typing my thoughts to cause a stir, but to express myself. So for that, I'm not going to apologize.

I had another topic in mind for today's post, but I think I'm going to save it. I just really want to talk about the online community and how it can affect someone's future. I remember being a told a story about a possible candidate for a company. This individual (not me, I promise) interviewed very well and they looked like a shoe-in. However, the employer did some background checks and stumbled upon the individual's facebook page. Needless to say, there were some interesting comments and posts that resulted in the individual not getting the job. So is that fair? It depends.

I'm all for using social network tools such as blogs and facebook and myspace (if that still even exists) to do a semi-background check. The truth is, I wouldn't want to hire someone if they posted certain pictures or certain types of posts. It could be a good indicator of how someone is. The flipside is that this may not accurately represent how someone behaves in the workplace. They could be an ideal role model, a hard worker, and a very studious person. Yet, which is more important? I believe a balance of the two are in order.

If someone has no problem posting obscene pictures or posts, I would be hesistant to have them represent my company. But if someone posts comments about his thoughts (see where I'm going now?) and is respectful of what is written, then should he have to worry?

So what are your thoughts on the subect? Or any subject? I want to hear from my readers!

All I ask is you are mindful of what you post....other people are reading!!!