Be aware of privacy issues and social networking. Before you apply for a job type your name in quotation marks, “John Smith”, into a search engine such as Google, Ask, Yahoo, MSN, etc. and look at the results. If you have embarrassing pictures or unflattering or negative information displayed, you need to remove it from your MySpace or Facebook or blog pages. Keep in mind your information may be linked with other people, so add additional information to your name with which you have an association such as your school, blogs, bands, etc.
Websites ‘keeping deleted photos’
According to the BBC user photographs can still be found on many social networking sites even after people have deleted them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8060407.stm
Flesher, Jared. “How to Clean Up Your Digital Dirt Before It Trashes Your Job Search”
Job-Hunting Advice. 12 Jan. 2006. Career Journal.
http://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/usingnet/20060112-flesher.html
Flesher gives tips on removing or deemphasizing unwanted personal information on the Web.
Shaheed, Caroline. “Online Profiles May Put Brakes on Job Search.”
Top Stories. 6 Oct. 2007. CTV.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071004/ online_careers_071004/20071006?hub=TopStories
Shaheed offers information on removing personal information from search engine catches or archived sites such as the Waybackmachine. She also suggests strategies for establishing a positive and professional Web presence.
Perez, Juan Carlos. “Facebook’s Beacon More Intrusive Than Previously Thought.” Online Privacy.
30 Nov. 2007. PC World Online.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,140182-c,onlineprivacy/article.html
“A Computer Associates security researcher says that Facebook’s controversial Beacon online system goes much further than expected in tracking people’s Web activities.”
Niccolai, James. “U.K. Youth Warned MySpace Isn’t Private (OMG!!!!).” Security.
26 Nov. 2007. Computerworld.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticle Basic&articleId=9048718 “Young people are compromising their career prospects and opening the door to online fraud by posting personal information on social networking sites without thinking about the consequences, a U.K. privacy watchdog warned Friday.”
Tips to ensure privacy on MySpace:
http://www.profilepitstop.com/articles/myspace-help/how-to-make-your-myspace-account-private.php
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/4246