Ivan Tribble advises bloggers to be careful about what they write, especially if they are looking for a job. He has previously written a piece about this for the Chronicle of Higher Education where he "gave a sharp warning to bloggers on the academic job market" based on his own recruiting experience. The column generated a big response from bloggers. He's been thinking about the responses.
"Among the more outraged responses to my column, the biggest issue seemed to be freedom of speech. There appears to be some confusion about what the Constitution guarantees. "Hello officer, the stolen goods are in my trunk," is one example of free speech that can get you incarcerated. Telling a bank officer you plan to skip town with the cash will certainly cut your chances of getting a loan.
Likewise, there's plenty of constitutionally protected speech that has no place in an interview. Try telling an interviewer, "Kinda heavy, aren't you?" Or "Man, these undergrads are so hot!" It's not hard to conjure up examples.
If "be careful what you say," is good general advice for the job seeker, why is it so controversial to add the word "online"? Maintaining the privacy of comments broadcast to the entire computerized world seems disingenuous. Public speech, while certainly free, is still public...
Getting hired, then, is much like hitting the lottery. How does a candidate get the winning combination? The best advice I've heard says, by being who you really are. Some people will be alienated by who you really are, while others will find you appealing.
A job seeker must consider: Does that online projection (some would say construction) of yourself present you as you wish to be seen...
As my original column made clear (and many amid the outcry reiterated) when it comes to blogging, I just don't "get it." That's right, I don't. Many in the tenured generation don't, and they'll be sitting on hiring committees for years to come.
If that's bad news, I'm sorry. But would it really be better if no one bothered to mention it? Shooting the messenger may make some feel better, but heeding the warning might help them get jobs."
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