Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Auslegung]

I just had an interview with a potential employer. They asked a lot of questions, I asked a lot, it was a standard interview. However, one of the questions freaked me out. They asked me about something they had no way of knowing, and the only place they could have found it was on my blog. The only way they could have found that blog was through Facebook. I have literally been unable to help a friend add me on Facebook because I couldn't find myself, my name being common apparently, but they found me. Which means they read my blog, and looked at my Facebook page. Fortunately I have long ago cleaned up all of that stuff so I don't look like the idiot I am. But it just weired me out. I hear about it all the time, employers or potential employers looking at your online profiles, but I guess this is the first time I know it's happened to me.

Anyone else know without a doubt that you've been searched this way? How do you feel about it? Again, I don't have anything to hide, and those pictures that we all have of us doing something stupid, well I've taken those off so I'm not worried. But I am a little weirded out I guess, maybe mostly weirded out because I'm pretty sure they asked me that question to let me know they've googled me.

[Ramen]

[Draz]

I had an employer check out my Facebook before hiring me. That was close to three years ago.

They wanted someone who drinks, but not too much. I also scored points for some cute pictures of me playing with my students during lunch hour.

I was surprised. I don't have anything to hide either, but it surprised me anyway.

[crossmr]

you mean the blog that's linked in your profile?
It's possible a username/email/etc matched

http://jasoninseoul.blogspot.com/

[thegadfly]

I don't know that *I* have ever been searched for on the Internet, but I know I DO search for folks that make it past the first round of candidate selection. A search for a person's name + university from the resume or + Korea if they have been in Korea can get you a lot of information.

If you don't want something to be publicly known, why place it in a public place?

The main reason I do the search for candidates is that students WILL do the search for teachers, parents MAY do the search for teachers, and some "civic" groups that seem to want to portray teachers badly will do a search for teachers.

Don't post pictures or stories of drug use, womanizing, drinking to excess, theft, harassment, or otherwise portray yourself as a shiftless, lazy, good-for-nothing slacker, and you should be fine. A blog in which you constantly complain about your workplace, and name it and name folks in it? Really bad idea, even if every word of it is the truth. You go drinking with your mates if you want to kvetch about stuff -- you don't write it down and post for the world to see. That stuff can haunt you forever....

...and yes, we have found things that are disturbing enough to warrant removing a person from consideration -- if nothing else, a lack of a sense of decorum, and of the separation between public and private behaviors. Posting anything on the Internet is a PUBLIC action, folks. Unless someone hacks into your email, there is NO presumption of privacy in a blog...and if you have like 1000 friends on facebook and accept every friend invitation, there is no expectation of privacy there, either.

...at least make it take more than 2 minutes of Googling to find those pictures of you with a beer bong, streaking down main street in your college town last year....

[thegadfly]

[fortysixyou]

Controlling a class full of Korean kindies isn't as easy as it looks in the movies, dude.

[southernman]

It's hardly surprisng, really.

An International survey was conducted in January 2010. The results were published in an online NZ paper this year. When interviewed ( from memory) 39% of businesses said they check out prospective workers via the internet. That survey result was published in January this year so its almost 16 months old now.

It cracks me up what some people say and post on facebook etc, actually somethings make me cringe.

I'm pretty careful with my photos that I allow, a few show me having shots but that's hardly newsworthy in Korea. I never write anything out of order of fb. If I need to rant I come here

[sojusucks]

Everyone should know by now not to post incriminating party photos on the 'net under your name or accounts, but so many do.