Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Column: Job seekers don't have to be Facebook angels
By Leslie Small
Daily Collegian, Penn State
December 09, 2008

If I had a nickel for every time someone advised myself and other job seekers to take down our Facebook pictures, I wouldn't even need to look for a job.

Don't get me wrong -- I know social networking sites can spell trouble when people share too much. As a reporter, I used group memberships to find potential sources and delighted in finding cell phone numbers listed right on students' profile pages. My aims may have been harmless, but there's a very real threat posed by identity thieves with access to the same information.

I've even seen questionable material on a Facebook profile be used against a student charged with a crime. Turns out prosecutors have Facebook profiles, too.

With these concerns in mind, I made sure to never post my cell number or address and declined to join groups advertising I'd been involved in illegal activity (Ohio State '05 field rushers, I'm looking at you.)

To satisfy my editors, I even washed my profile clean of any trace of a political affiliation. After all, working at a newspaper is a privilege, not a right.

There's one thing, though, despite continued prodding by faculty members, I refuse to do. Nearly every weekend my friends post pictures of me where I can be seen at a bar or a party, sometimes (gasp!) holding a drink.

I will not be taking these pictures down.

First, there's the practical argument. Even if I went through the arduous task of "un-tagging" myself from every photo, these photos would still exist online because I wasn't the one who posted them. This leaves me with two unfavorable choices: avoiding ever being photographed or badgering my friends to remove every photo in which I'm pictured. Frankly, I have better things to do than play photo police.

Then, there's the theoretical argument. You see, I'm not an alcoholic. I'm also more than a year older than the legal drinking age, so that margarita I'm holding isn't so scandalous. Are there older pictures posted of me, as a 20-year-old, drinking? Probably -- but I've never been cited for it and I challenge you to prove that was alcohol in my Solo cup.

Furthermore, I fail to see why future employers are so intent on hiring people who show no evidence of a social life. If you want to chain an employee to a cubicle for the rest of his or her natural life, I can see the justification. But if you ever want your new hire to charm a client at a business lunch, I'd suggest picking the kid who appears to have friends and weekend plans that don't involve World of Warcraft.

This is Penn State, so a lot of us party, and most us know how to do so responsibly. Why should I have to hide the fact that I had fun in college in order to get a job when I graduate? If I have a pretty good resume and still went out every weekend, I see no reason to communicate otherwise to my future employer. That's just false advertising.

Like most students, I learned nearly as much socially as I did academically in my time at Penn State. I've learned a lot from people I've talked to -- drink in hand -- at bars and parties and forged valuable connections. I value this in the same way I'll value my hard-earned degree.

So, future employers, I hope you interpret my Facebook policy not as stubbornness, but as evidence of conviction. If you choose to peruse my profile, you'll see a nuanced portrait of a real person -- not a hastily diluted entry. This way, I can at least promise you honesty.

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