http://www.amino.dk/blogs/soulaima_gourani/archive/2015/01/20/letp-‐229-‐kl-‐230-‐dte-‐festlige-‐piger-‐ s-‐248-‐ger-‐job.aspx
Lightly dressed party girls looking for work
In recent years, we have been seeing many hopeful young people entering the labor market, and it seems that their integration is not going so well! As soon as they send their application, the boss logs in to her computer to Google them, and what she discovers on the Internet affects her hiring decision. A study shows that more than 77% of all bosses/HR managers search the Internet for additional information about job applicants before calling them in for an interview. Thus, young job seekers are being screened even before they are interviewed, and many of them are rejected not only because of their lack of experience and skills but also because of their “private life.” I have never used Facebook or any other social platforms to find information about any of my employees. What I know about them comes from people who have referred them to me. That we later in the process link up and become “friends” is totally fine by me, but I do not pry into their personal life. You are most likely familiar with terms such as generation Z, Alpha, and year 2000 generation. However, only a few people have knowledge about what motivates these youngsters. The young people of today, and who will soon be entering the labor market, are part of generation Z (young people between the ages of 15 and 25). The Internet is full of images of lightly dressed party girls pouting, drinking, and posing in selfies with hopeful drunk young guys. They are most likely not doing anything that you did not do at that age, but the major difference is that you did not have your “wild” days documented to the same extent as we see today. Nowadays, you can easily find much more information about a candidate’s personal life than was possible just only 10 years ago.
I for one am very happy that Facebook did not exist when I was young. I do not dare think about all of the pictures from wild parties that could have been posted online. Does that mean that I am embarrassed about the things I did? No, not at all, but there is a big difference between just saying that I had a lot of fun when I was young and having all of your “dirty laundry” hung out to dry in the form of pictures, YouTube videos, etc. Does it hurt your career? In many jobs, showing that you are fun loving and have excellent social skills is good. That is part of the basic career skills (EQ). However, it is hard to blame a future boss for thinking that a person might not be able to perform a satisfactory job if that person weekend after weekend is the star in a variety of drunken images.
Don’t worry! Are you worried that your teenage child’s party pictures will hurt his future career? Well, that depends on the type of pictures we are talking about. Drinking, having sex, and partying are just part of growing up—just like it was when you were young. However, it is a good idea to talk with your teenage son or daughter about how a future employer might perceive these pictures in five years. Despite the prevalence of the Internet, I am not that worried, because soon it will be possible to erase all of your pictures and digital footprints—it is just a question of whether you are willing to pay for it. If you want to eliminate the risk of future scandals, stay home, don’t do anything, and make absolutely sure not to have your picture taken.
You CAN say no! I have a friend who always refuses to have his picture taken. He is aiming for a political career, and he has always said no to being tagged or having his picture taken at festive gatherings. He is an outgoing person, but he just doesn’t want to have pictures of him on the Internet. People around him respect that. Your virtual footprint can both open and close doors for you—this is a fact. The abovementioned statement has been proven by my old Norwegian girlfriend. She had the habit of flashing her big bosom at company parties. As a result, she didn’t really get very far in her career. Therefore, both in the “real” life and in the virtual life, consider what you do and be moderate. ;-‐) Everyone will have an online past . . . ;-‐) The good news is that in 10 years, all differences will be erased, because the pictures of your future boss will already be out there, and then you will be even!