"Losing face" meaning to be humiliated or lose one’s reputation thus one is unable to show one’s face in public. With a snap of a camera, Michael Phelps lost his wholesome image, a multi-million dollar Kellogg deal, and the respect of USA Swimming. Most of us are not celebrity caliber as Mr. Phelps, yet we each have ample to lose with a capricious quick click of a camera.
As an employer, I aim to hire the best people to enter my firm. All businesses want quality and professional employees. Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube are new avenues to unearth any undesirable qualities on potential candidates. I used the trick of showing someone the "employee smoking area" to unearth their reaction to smoking. Now we have savvier tools to unveil your weekend lifestyle choices.
Whether it’s a water bong, a cigarette, or racy Halloween costume, these choices all are being judged by people other than your circle of friends. Flippant comments like "I’m bored out of my mind here" posted at 10am on Tuesday or a plain yet poignant"work sucks" posted on a web page will furrow the brow of any employer.
There’s a false sense of intimacy Americans have with their computers. You sit alone in the privacy of your home while you upload this past weekend’s highlights. It harmless, right? No one watching over your shoulder making the critical throat clearing sounds. You click send, and you’ve just exposed yourself to all eyes with internet, even dial-up.
Would you wear that sexy kitten costume to work? Well Pussy Cat, you just brought it to work when you posted those pics on MySpace. Think about it. "Mystique" meaning an air of attitude of mystery and reverence developing around something or someone. Your mystique can flat line like Britney Spears’s too.
I am not saying, don’t have fun. Everyone loves fun. I hope you can trust your friends to not sabotage your future with a tagged photo. Rule of hand (thumb is too small), if you cannot trust everyone in your company, simply don’t do or say anything that can sabotage your future. Think Michael Phelps, do you want your future career to Sink or Swim? Swim baby swim!
Help us all learn: tell me about a Facebook/MySpace/Twitter social or career mistake you witnessed.
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