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Your Job And The Facebook Bill

Earlier this month Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois signed into law a measure that makes it illegal for employers to ask for their workers’ passwords to social networking sites like Facebook. Illinois employers can still request user names to review public posts, but can not request access to restricted portions of an employee or job applicant’s online profile.

While the debate over employee privacy continues on the hill, I want to extend a word of caution. No, scratch that. I want to SHOUT THIS FROM THE ROOFTOPS until I’m sure every single person understands that NOTHING – zilch, nada, zip – that you post online is truly private. Ever.

I am not a paranoid conspiracy theorist. On the contrary, I’m a realist. Case in point. The other day my friend Nancy*, an HR Manager for a large organization, told me that an employee presented her with a print-out of something another employee has posted on Facebook. The Facebook “author” mistakenly thought that since her security settings were locked down tight, and because her posts were only visible only to her close friends, she was “safe.” Little did she know that one of her “friends” has grown tired of her posting negative comments about their mutual employer, and decided to take matters into his own hands.

Be it a hard-copy or screen capture, the people in your network can do anything they want with whatever you post online. In the age of personal brand and reputation management, you simply can’t be too careful. Mind your manners online and if you have a beef with the boss, handle it in the same manner you would want him or her to deal with you – privately.

You can read more about legislation to protect social media passwords here.

*Nancy’s name isn’t really Nancy, but I’m guessing you knew that already.

Image credit.

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Work Your Network!

By now, you’ve probably heard how important networking is to your career. You may even attend industry-specific networking events, speed-networking meetings, or get virtually introduced to new contacts by mutual connections. This is all great, but – what do you do AFTER you’ve met someone? 

Networking contacts come in handy in the most mysterious ways. The person with an “in” at your target company may be someone you haven’t spoken to in 3 years – despite the fact that you’re connected on LinkedIn. If you’re an avid networker, the sheer size of your database may make you feel it’s impossible to stay in touch with everyone you’ve met. This isn’t necessarily true.

The key is staying in touch. This doesn’t mean dinner every month, just a brief “touch” to staying on someone’s radar. Of course, there will be other relationships you’ll want to spend more time nurturing. However, you can keep in contact with most people in your network fairly quickly and easily. For example:

1)    Remember birthdays: It takes about 10 seconds to wish someone a happy birthday online, and Facebook even provides you with an alert. It’s a quick way to stay on someone’s radar AND brighten their day!

2)    Offer congratulations on promotions: Same goes for job changes. LinkedIn sends a weekly update to members, with the career moves of those in their networks. Another 10 second interaction that will put a smile on someone’s face AND remind them about you!

3)    Remember REAP: This acronym – Read, Events, Advice, People – suggests things you can either offer your contacts or ask of them. For example: “I met someone I think you’d find to be a valuable contact (the “P” in REAP). Would you be open to an introduction?” You’re adding value and building a relationship at the same time.

It really only has to take a few minutes each day to maintain your network – but a lot longer to build one from scratch. Cultivate the relationships you already have, and you’ll be more than prepared when opportunities arise!

Picture: chairs & coffee, by Murielle

Tags: building relationships, Networking, relationship building, social media, social networking
Posted in Facebook, LinkedIn, Networking, Social Networking | No Comments »

Job Success Spotlight: Kathryn Janicek

Picture it: 2008, during one of the lowest points of the recession. Kathryn Janicek had quit her job in Minnesota to move to Chicago. Though she had grown up in the area, she had been away for more than 14 years and had only a small local network–with very few of those in the highly competitive television industry.  

Fast-forward 6 months. Kathryn bought a condo in Chicago, rented out her place in Minnesota (despite an extremely dismal housing and rental market), and got hired as supervising news producer at WGN-TV in Chicago. How did she do this? Two words: social networking. Read on for some of Kathryn’s tips on how she used Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to find a great job in a city where she wasn’t even living:

1)    She built a network FAST: By getting heavily involved with the three main social media sites, Kathryn quickly established industry connections in Chicago. Building a network this fast and from a different location simply would not have happened without these tools.

2)    She reconnected with former colleagues: Kathryn was able to locate people she used to work with and put the word out that she was looking. This resulted in a friend calling the WGN hiring manager on her behalf – leading to an interview and ultimately an offer.

3)    She created a strong brand: Proud to be from Chicago, Kathryn promotes the city at every opportunity. As one aspect of her brand, she’s seen as someone up to date on area activities – a strong selling point for Chicago news outlets looking for local stories.

It’s no question that social media helped Kathryn’s career, and she recommends staying conscious of the purpose of each site (i.e. LinkedIn is more professional than Facebook). This can help job seekers maintain a positive presence and also make the most of each network.

Kathryn Janicek is currently NBC-Chicago’s daypart manager/executive producer.

Tags: job search, Networking, personal brand, relocating, social media, social networking
Posted in Facebook, Job Search Strategies, LinkedIn, Networking, Personal Branding, Social Networking, Twitter | No Comments »