Beware Your Online Presence

Mz6 wrote to mention an article in the NY Daily News stating that an increasing number of employers are Googling their prospective employees during the interview/hiring process. From the article: "'A friend of mine posted a picture of me on My Space with my eyes half closed and a caption that suggests I've smoked something illegal,' says Kluttz. While the caption was a joke, Kluttz now wonders whether the past two employers she interviewed with thought it was so funny. Both expressed interest in hiring Kluttz, but at the 11th hour went with someone else."

RTFA!

[XanC]

...oh. There isn't one.

Maybe it's just the name.

[Anonymous Coward]

Would /you/ hire someone named "Kluttz"?

Re:I feel sorry for the goatce man then...

[Anonymous Coward]

Which gives the term 'job opening' an entirely new perspective.

Article link

[Plug]

The article is at http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/401069p-339 405c.html [nydailynews.com].

(Persons googling for me can now see what a helpful individual I am! ;)

I can sympathize...

[beowulfy]

I used to post all the pictures of myself smoking crack and heroin with captions listing my full legal name and social security number. But then I read on article that said that might not be so hot if your looking for a job. So I wised up and posted the pictures under the alias: uber-rocksmokeerdood69woot! No problems so far! hope this helps....

Here's mine

[DrSkwid]

I'm a drug user and been a drug dealer
I've been involved in organised violence
I've commited fraud
I've driven drunk
I've lied to get jobs
I've commited perjury
I occasionally steal stuff
I've evaded tax
I've driven my car without insurance
I've done a DoS on a commercial rival's server via an exploit

I guess that'll do

Got any work for me ?

Actually...

[Anonymous Coward]

I wasn't bothered about the dope smoking, but I'll be damned if I hire somebody who lists Moulin Rouge as their eighth most favourite film ever [ymdb.com]!

</interviewer>

Nothing 'bout the net, dude...

[pegr]

Would you hire a guy named "Kluttz"?

Re:Actually...

[schematix]

I wasn't bothered about the dope smoking, but I'll be damned if I hire somebody who lists Moulin Rouge as their eighth most favourite film ever!

I think this by itself might suggest that they were in fact a dope smoker, and it had severely impacted their ability to judge rationally.

Re:Maybe it's just the name.

[Anonymous Coward]

Would you hire someone named "Kluttz"?

Sure, he works on our Microsoft Windows Security team.
     

Added credibility

[Wiseleo]

I tell my clients to run a Google Groups search for my last name and technology of their choice.

1000+ articles posted in my area of expertise.

Google itself links me to some seriously fun stuff. First link just happens to point to my Amazon profile. I consider that as VERY lucky as that's a page I can modify as I see fit.

Here is you will see when you search for "Knyshov" on Google:

Amazon.com: Profile For Leonid Knyshov: ReviewsLeonid Knyshov "World-class computer expert" (Fremont, CA USA) (REAL NAME) ... I wish you good health and much prosperity,. Leonid S. Knyshov ...
www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/ A3P7EVPCSMPGI6?_encoding=UTF8 - 66k - Cached - Similar pages

Amazon.com: Profile for Leonid KnyshovLeonid S. Knyshov is a computer genius who is typically employed as a Sr. Network Systems Security ... Mr. Knyshov appreciates your time spent reading this. ...
www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A3P7EVPCSMPGI6 - 43k - Cached - Similar pages
[ More results from www.amazon.com ]

A few links below that, however, I am linked to insecure.org which shows my HP-UX exploit from 1997. That can be good or bad. Good - shows that I knew how to find original exploits 9 years ago. Bad - I don't actively advertise that. Overall, I consider that as a good link.

Then there is a link that connects me to the SF Raves community. That again can be good or bad. Good - I can modify that page as I see fit and it shows that I am not a bookworm. Bad - it links me with nightlife of San Francisco, which may provoke questions about possible recreational drug usage, which I do not do.

Overall, that's basically the key. If the information you post is good, it definitely enhances credibility. I tell my clients to look for me on the Internet. For some reason, my 1994-2000 newsgroups history is not visible, which is not necessarily a bad thing :-).

Re:Article link

[Surt]

Especially if you're one of those people who goes by one name like Cher or Plug.

Re:RTFA!

[EZLeeAmused]

Didn't you intend to go on to state that you never do a bit more than the absolute minimum in any situation, and sign your real name to that post?

Re:Use an alias. Do not post your last name on...

[Smurf]

Do you want to marry some idiot who only cares about how rich you are?

Who said he wanted to marry? Maybe he'd just like to pork her for a while.

Let's see, the girl is hoping to marry this guy. Of course, she has a reprovable monetary motivation, but nonetheless, she is looking for a husband.

If the guy just wants to "pork" her for a while, then, by mere coincidence justice was made, as she actually dismissed a guy who was anyway a bad candidate for marriage.

Re:Everyone.

[Dr. Zowie]

Are you the same Scott Swindells that did some work for distributed.net back in 2000? If so, your strategy isn't working.

Re:Maybe it's just the name.

[Anonymous Coward]

There's a Microsoft Windows Security team? Color me shocked!

Re:Simple?

[Red Alastor]

Uh, that dosn't sound very simple at all.

It is simple ! I'm going to do it as soon as I finish switching everybody to Linux !

Re:Nothing 'bout the net, dude...

[christopherfinke]

Would you hire a guy named "Kluttz"?

Would you hire a 27 year-old who has a MySpace account?

Re:Simple to avoid.

[Anonymous Brave Guy]

You think that's bad? I share my name with a US senator! :o)

Maybe she's just applying at the wrong places

[wramsdel]

I mean, with a name like Kluttz, chainsaw juggling, hand grenade handling, and brain surgery may not be for you.

Re:Simple to avoid.

[BoomerSooner]

Lol I have the exact opposite problem. There is someone with my exact same name (my name is bizzare and pretty rare, so there are only 3 with it in the country, me, my dad, and some random guy). He writes significantly better than I do, so I'm finding posts under my name I know I didn't write. Either that or I have multiple personality. Whichever the case he makes me look better!

Re:Simple to avoid.

[Ohreally_factor]

This is why I always apply for jobs using a fake name.

At the first interview, I make up a story about how I'm in the Witness Protection Program.

Re:Nothing 'bout the net, dude...

[Mr. Underbridge]

Would you hire a 27 year-old who has a MySpace account?

Somebody has to edit the NAMBLA newsletter.

She isn't Joking...

[Gamzarme]

just take a look at the third result in the Google search [google.com]. Very scary...just think what her rep is gonna be like now.

Re:Use an alias. Do not post your last name on...

[dubl-u]

in the tyrannical covert-government-torturing Norwegian regime

Hi! I'm in the States. Could you get them to torture our covert government when they're done over there?

Re:RTFBlog!

[cashman73]

Just the mere fact that she even has a MySpace account ought to be grounds for not hiring her in the first place! I swear, MySpace has got to be the, "back-end" of the internet, if the internet even has a "back-end." Who taught these people web design?!?!

My immediate response to this...

[baudbarf]

AWESOME! Now, all I have to do is create a network of websites which make positive reference to me, and how I've saved the lives of hundreds of projects for thousands of companies, how I once single-handedly wrote a program that ended the cold war, and how I have to beat off NASA/Pentagon/Sun Microsystems recruiters with a stick.

I get the feeling that my next prospective employer will be offering me a less-than-demeaning salary.

Re:My girlfriend played Wow....

[Anonymous Coward]

The "girlfriend" obviously being a man pretending to be a female night elf. Few undersexed nerds can resist the awesome power of a 3d model of a girl of another species pretending to be Alizee.

Or so I'm told.

Re:Creeeeeeeeeppyyyyyyy....

[Valdrax]

(Posting AC because the last thing I want is some crazy, vindictive stalker after me.)

Well, f*$#-nuts.