[February 09, 2010] Internet users: Beware the web of destruction Tweet Feb 09, 2010 (The Morehead News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- MySpace, YouTube, and Facebook are popular social networking sites people turn to locate family, friends, classmates and search for employment. These networking sites, although they seem to be safe, can be tools used to destroy a person's career. "They (public) need to be very careful for a lot of reasons," said Julia Hawkins, director of career services for Morehead State University. "Professionally they need to be very careful. The social network sites look like friendship sites." People need to be aware that any content on any website could be subject to scrutiny by employment agencies and companies looking to hire people for a job. "Employers are starting to look at those. Employers can get access to content that is posted on personal sites," Hawkins said. "I have heard horror stories from people because of what is on their Facebook or Myspace page. In some cases, the person did not get a job or they lost their job because of it." People need to use extreme caution when posting anything on a social networking site, she said. "Be careful of what you are using the site for and what information you are putting on the site," she said. "Even if you think it is personal it may affect your professional life. In the career field, we are hearing about things going wrong because of things being put on the Internet and it backfires on them." Hawkins recounted an incident where an employee lost their job because of something they wrote on their personal web page about their employer. "My son came home one day and said someone got fired one day," Hawkins said. "I asked him why and he said that the person wrote on their personal web page that they thought their boss was an idiot and they hated working at their job. When your boss sees that online there is no arguing it because it is there in print. You're fired and that is it." The Internet can be a wonderful tool for employment and research, however, Hawkins said. "The Internet is one of the greatest sources for job searches you can get," she said. "It is really good but you have to be more careful now than in the past. You don't want to have any personal information such as your social security number and your address. You don't want to post any information that can cause someone to track you or tells where you live." Employers with applications online are secure websites. It is safe to put personal information such as name, address and a phone number on a legitimate employer's website. Photos or comments that are posted on a website are considered public information. Therefore, such items are easy to get access to, Hawkins said. "Don't put anything online that is embarrassing to you that you don't want an employer to see," she said. "If you are too vocal about politics or religion and you post your remarks on the Internet an employer might see it. If you're too vocal on the Internet, an employer might see that and might not hire you because of your behavior. They may worry that your opinions may cause a problem in the workplace." Hawkins said she wants her students to be successful in finding and obtaining employment after graduation. "They are young and naive," she said. "We want to protect them from the outside world. One drunken party can ruin them on the Internet. It is amazing how quickly a comment or a picture can ruin you on the Internet." Although there is much to be aware of when it comes to safety on the Internet, Hawkins said there is no reason to shy away from it. "I don't want people to be afraid of the Internet," Hawkins said. "I want them to be aware and savvy of the Internet." There have been arguments concerning the legitimacy of employers checking up on prospective employees on private websites, she said. "We always talk about it being ethical," she said. "Whether it is right or not I don't know. You spend a lot of time training an employee you want to get the best you can. We have been doing a lot more research about a professional presence on the Internet. It can make you or break you." The bottom line, she said, is that people need to be aware that most employers are using the Internet to post jobs, collect applications and resumes and they are using it for screening. People need to be careful. To see more of The Morehead News or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.themoreheadnews.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, The Morehead News, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]