More on legal/ethical issues of employers checking applicants’ social networking sites

Many of my students graduate this month and begin searching for that elusive first job. They will enter a very competitive marketplace. Every competitive advantage they have must be exploited. And any competitive disadvantages must be minimized. As we’ve said here before, it’s time to scrub Facebook and MySpace pages for anything that might be unflattering or unprofessional.

This came to mind rather strongly recently after a conversation with my student Caitlan T. Ward. Caitlan commented on one of my blog posts about legal and ethical issues in using social networking sites. She told me about a real life example of what happens when employers check social networking sites of job candidates. Her comments, and our subsequent conversation,  were so insightful that I want to share them here.

Caitlan astutely points out that as Facebook gains publicity in the media and in the world of business, it creates many concerns for college students and graduate job seekers.

“I would like to share a short story of my own personal experience of the serious impact of Facebook and MySpace,” Caitlan says. “Last summer, I was hired as a receptionist for a small title company. All the employees were laid back and friendly. My boss was especially casual and welcoming, and not to mention somewhat young for his superior position. He was 33 years old and only a few years out of law school.”

Caitlan says that the first day she met the young boss he was searching around on Myspace. She says it prompted an interesting conversation about Facebook and MySpace. Then it turned weird.

“A few weeks later he was periodically asking me to search for specific people on Facebook and MySpace, individuals who were applying for employee positions at the company,” Caitlan says. “My boss would browse the candidate’s web pages, and although he didn’t make hiring decisions solely based on information he derived from Facebook and MySpace, he did form a conscious judgment of the candidates based on what he saw from pictures, wall posts, personal blogs, online groups, and the list goes on.”

At present, there isn’t much case law regarding social media. There is little guidance since many situations simply have not been tested in court. But we do know that an employer can legally decide not to hire you based on a review of the contents your Facebook or MySpace page. That is, as long as employers do not violate federal or state discrimination laws in using social networking sites in making hiring decisions. For example, an employer cannot legally screen out applicants based on race or ethnicity.

But Caitlan’s words are chilling: “the boss didn’t make hiring decisions based solely on information from Facebook and MySpace, but he did form a conscious judgment of the candidates based on what he saw.” That’s legal and highly instructive.

It is not an invasion of privacy for an employer to gain access to your profile or photos. What is posted on the Internet has a lower “expectation of privacy” than, say, a private home telephone conversation. Once posted on Facebook or MySpace or your blog, the information is available to the public. Therefore, viewing it does not constitute an invasion of privacy.

Caitlan says others began to ask her to surf sites for them on the job. “Soon enough, I actually had several employees asking me to search for their children, ” she says. “Then I realized how much trouble that could cause, so I told everyone I deleted my Facebook and MySpace and couldn’t help them.”

“It was very discomforting to know that my similar information was available, too,” Caitlan says. “People might think businesses, schools, the media, and the police won’t be able to gain access to private Facebook or MySpace pages, but all my boss needed was a young, college student receptionist who was familiar with these sites to get to the page.”

“My experience emphasizes the significant influence the Internet has on society and the importance of limiting personal information posted on the web, especially for graduating college students entering the business world,” Caitlan adds. That is wise counsel.

What makes a successful communication/PR/IMC practitioner?

As graduation day nears, I have been thinking about this question. I am sure that many soon-to-be grads are thinking about it, too.

They had better be. School is literally out. It’s time to go to work.

Some of my most exemplary students are graduating. And weekly, I hear from graduates who are now successfully working but stay in touch. The question of what makes a practitioner successful applies to both groups.

I have earned a living in communication/PR/IMC since 1973. I have seen much and learned much. I have had the honor of working with some very accomplished people. And I have worked with some real aholes. Playing the bemused observer, I have seen some really successful practitioners in action. I have also seen some practitioners crash and burn in their careers.

So what made the difference in outcome? Many things, in my opinion. Here are my thoughts.

Phase One: College. First, you have to be prepared for a career. For most of us, this begins in college. We decide to major in communication/PR/IMC. Characteristics of students who are on their way to career success are:

• They learn to conduct themselves as successful working professionals by showing up on time and prepared at each class. They exhibit the discipline so necessary for success.
• They prepare their assignments and/or do their reading in advance.
• They listen and participate, engaging the instructor in meaningful discussion.
• They ask for advice both in and out of class.
• They get involved in professional activities like PRSSA or IABC student chapters. Even better, they take leadership positions.
• They get instructive, hands-on internships.
• They participate in various campus organizations in which they can build leadership skills.
• They work at real jobs, too, to earn money and build a work ethic that will impress potential employers later.
• Their Facebook and MySpace pages do not have endless numbers of drunken, narcissistic, and hedonistic photos. Their pages reflect a balanced and mature college student who is engaged in career development, skills-building activities, plus some tastefully depicted fun, too.
• They blog and read blogs. Their blogs may be required for classes or may be self-motivated, but they are active participants in the blogosphere. They read industry-related blogs and keep up with what is happening in the profession they seek to join.

Doing these things, students have much to highlight in a resume.

Phase Two: Early Career. Graduates must start somewhere in the job market, so take an entry-level job. This is a no-brainer, because that is all a new college graduate can expect to get anyway. Be humble, lose the ego, and start climbing your career ladder at the bottom rung like the rest of us did. On that entry-level job, do these things:

• Conduct yourself as a successful working professional by showing up on time and prepared each day. Exhibit the discipline so necessary for success. Anything less will not be tolerated in today’s competitive marketplace.
• Take on every assignment, not matter how small, with the highest of professionalism and diligence. Do each assigned task well, and more and better assignments will follow.
• Do more than is expected. Use every assignment to deliver more than the minimum. Demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness. It will be noticed, appreciated, and ultimately rewarded. Employers want problem-solvers.
• Do not whine or complain. Develop and keep a positive attitude.
• Find a mentor. A mentor is a wise and trusted teacher or counselor. There will be a seasoned professional who will gladly become your mentor. Learn from him or her. A mentor can teach you much about your profession – about how to succeed and how to stay out of trouble. A mentor can open doors for you, too, that will help you advance.
• Join IABC and/or PRSA. Get involved. Take committee assignments and seek elected leadership positions. Make this as much a part of your career as showing up at work every day.
• Attend IABC and/or PRSA meetings and conferences, listen and learn from professional development programs, then initiate new strategies and tactics into your work.

Phase Three: Mid-Career. Continue doing what is listed above in Phase Two: Early Career. But in this phase, you should concentrate on continuing professional development. You can do this in several ways:

• Pursue accreditation by IABC and/or PRSA. Successfully completing the accreditation process not only results in marketable career credentials, but the process is a wonderful professional development experience. Many employers advertise for jobs seeking candidates who are “IABC or PRSA accredited”.
• Consider going back to graduate school for your Master’s degree. Many employers have tuition reimbursement programs making the financial burden less onerous. Master’s in what, you ask? See my post “Grad school decision time: Master’s degree in communication or MBA or IMC?” posted February 29, 2008.
• If you have not already, consider changing jobs to enhance career growth. You may have done this more than once by now, either voluntarily or not, but it is important to not stagnate out of some false sense of security. Your only security is in your marketable skills.
• In every way possible, become a life-long learner. Learn, implement, evaluate, revise or refine, and repeat the process.

By Phase Three, you should be fairly well-established in your career. But there are unanswered questions. Apart from the title on your business card, what is the profile of a successful practitioner? Here’s my view of the successful practitioner:

• He/she has a responsible position of leadership with a reputable organization.
• He/she is a leader in IABC and/or PRSA.
• He/she is accredited by IABC and/or PRSA and/or may have earned a Master’s, too.
• He/she is mentoring one or a number of promising young practitioners.
• He/she continues to learn and grow professionally and personally.
• He/she has fought his/her professional and personal devils and emerged victorius, scarred but stronger and wiser.
• He/she does not get rattled by day-to-day events or crisis de jour, but is calm and capable under fire.
• His/her counsel is sought by others both in and outside his/her organization.
• He/she is happy, grounded, and balanced, with a joy for living.

 

IABC’s Natasha Nicholson advises Towson PR Millennial students on entering the work force

Natasha Nicholson says today’s graduating Millennial students will be working with four generations in the U.S. work force. Communicating with these various generations presents unique challenges for communication/PR professionals, both personally and professionally.

And that was just the beginning.

Natasha was keynote speaker at Towson’s Student PR Group’s annual Networking Fair April 30. The Fair links soon-to-be graduates with employers and undergrads with sources of internships. Participating organizations provide a wide array of useful information, services, and advice and counsel, such as cover letter and resume critiques, practice interviewing, and general job-related advice, along with real jobs and internships

But the highlight of the event was Nicholson. The students loved her, and for good reason. Natasha is an accomplished professional, but she is warm and accessible, traits lacking in so many who talk down to students. Not Natasha. She is a worthy role model.

Natasha manages IABC’s Knowledge Center as Vice President of Publishing and Research at IABC headquarters in San Francisco. She is also executive editor of IABC’s Communication World  magazine and its electronic supplement, CW Online.

Natasha’s overall message was the value that communication bring to organizations. She outlined the work place that soon-to-be May graduates will face. “Regarding communication, each generation has its preferred method, speed, and frequency,” Natasha says, “at which they want to receive messages. These range from Traditionalists who prefer face-to-face and print to Generation Yers who prefer constant online communication.”

“There is a definite technolgy gap, ” Natasha says. “Today’s graduates are quite familiar with fast-changing technology that older generations are not as comfortable with.”

Potential conflict between the generations in the workplace centers on leadership, Natasha says. “Baby Boomers hold most management and leadership positions in organizations. As this generation prepares to retire, they are followed by a much smaller Generation X. Companies are scrambling to find and retain talent to fill leadership positions.”

The implications for younger workers is to acquire and refine leadership skills needed for management positions, so when the time comes, you’ll be ready.

Natasha warned Towson Mass Comm and Comm Studies students attending the Fair to be careful of stereotypes. “Younger generations face the perception that they are less loyal to their employers than their predecessors are,” she says. “Younger workers must combat stereotypes of being the ‘entitled generation’.” Natasha advises students to pay their dues — take entry levels jobs, have a good work ethic, positive attitude, and don’t complain. Take whatever job you are assigned and do it well. Boomers did. They expect you to do the same, or prove some of the negative stereotypes about you.”

In order to become part of the new workforce, Natasha suggests that students:

• Ask to sit in on important meetings and be copied on relevant correspondence.
• Read through old files and the organization’s Website that don’t directly relate to your job.
• Volunteer to help co-workers with their important projects.
• Volunteer for an association, organization, chamber of commerce or other entity that will help you gain experience.
• Demonstrate initiative without being a pest. Go beyond what is expected of you and provide help above and beyond when you can.
• Ask for opportunities, actively seeking out ways to contribute.
• Accept the entry level job as a new graduate. You will work your way up soon enough. Pay your workplace dues and do each job well, then you will get more and better assignments.
• Have a positive, can-do attitude.
• Don’t complain.
• Be peaceful and calm (This last point was suggested by Natasha’s precocious 11-year-old son Andy. Point well taken, Andy).

Dinner with a Millennial

We sat across from each other at dinner,

a worn fern bar table and four decades separating us.

She, the Millennial, full of youth, beauty, and promise.

Me, the Boomer, bone tired and beaten down,

neither attractive nor promising. Old certainly.

We spoke of many things, conversation flowing effortlessly, honestly.

She crackles with energy that, harnessed, could power

the mid-Atlantic states.

I absorb it, refreshed to be in such a presence.

She converses in Millennial speech with words like

“sustaining”, “color blind”, “fairness”, and “community”.

I nod knowingly, but feel the weight of my generation’s sins

of omission and commission.

The Millennial does not condemn, for she is far too busy

planning great things to assess blame.

I am thankful for that.

We did our best. We had no more of a guidebook

than she will have.

I am fascinated as she texts friends while talking life strategy

and answers straight-up questions

with “yes” or “no”, never saying “absolutely”.

She speaks of concepts beyond her years.

She seems an old soul in a nymph’s body,

not yet scarred, bent, and made resentful.

I want so much to say, “here is the way; follow this plan

and learn from my pain. Stay this course

and avoid the traps that will make you regret in the night.”

But even as I wish for her a path straight and simple,

pain free and full of safe goodness,

I would no more impose on her that free pass than I would send her

purposely down a dark road.

No, my best for her is to give counsel if asked

and let her chart her own way to self-actualization.

She must face life in full force to be tested and tempered

and earn tensile strength of mind and spirit.

Better to compete in the arena on her own than take

shelter from broken sages, wise though they may be.

To my delight, she does ask counsel.

She shares ideas, and she asks that I give in equal measure.

Rather, she expects it.

I look with great affection at this strange and wonderful creature who is

without guile or meanness, who is at once naive and worldly-wise

and seeks to fight the good fight for the planet’s ecosystem

and the advancement of community.

She seeks nothing less than true equality, peace, justice, and

a light human footstep on Planet Earth.

I yield to her radiant spirit.

Trapped in my generation’s DNA, I embrace the changing of the guard,

knowing that on her watch, wrongs will be righted.

She will peel away the injustice and inequity

that clogs the arteries of previous generations.

She will, as Faulkner said, not merely endure, but prevail.

 

A whimsical look at TV rating codes

Have you kept up with the seemingly ever-changing TV rating codes? Long ago it was simple enough. An X rating meant it was nasty stuff for a variety of reasons. An R rating meant it was racy, but not in a NASCAR sort of way. Everything else was pretty tame.

We are more sophisticated now. The ever-helpful TV industry provides parental guidelines as a public service. Now we have Y, designated for all children; Y7, designated for children 7 and above; G, general audiences of all ages; PG, parental guidance suggested; 14, parents strongly cautioned; and MA, which means unsuitable for children under 17.

Under 17? Yeah, right. As if they don’t know what’s going on.

There are also extremely helpful subratings. There is V for violence; S for sexual situations or activity; L for coarse language; D for suggestive dialogue; and FV for fantasy violence.

I remember the first time I tuned in a program and noticed the new ratings. I think it was an early episode of Nip/Tuck. Before the show starts, you get this black and white warning with a voice over saying, “The following program contains stuff that will damn near offend most anyone. Parental guidance is advised, which means, you aging Baby Boomers will probably need your Millennial kids to watch this with you to explain what’s going on.”

Later, this was added: “The following program is rated MS-LSV. It is intended for mature audiences only.”

The first time I heard that one, I thought to myself, “Heck, I’m a Boomer, and I even know what ‘mature audiences only’ means.” That would be me.

But MS-LSV? Let’s see: Does AARP offer a guidebook on this? I think not. But since I am a highly educated and erudite college professor, I figured the MS meant “Me, see this?!?  The L must be for Levitra, and V of course is for Viagra. That’s probably because the S doubtless means sex. Got it. Start the show.

Life’s little ironies

It’s tax time in America. This great American season makes grown men cry, competent women tremble, and young people new to the process long for the innocence of childhood.

But it has its ironies. Two illustrations:

1. A firm is advertising its help with investing in the stock market. The last name of one of its counselors is Panic.

2. Paying bills today, I came to the invoice from my CPA firm for preparing my 2007 tax returns. I wrote the check, then recorded it in my checkbook register. The balance after writing the tax prep check was, get this, exactly $1099. Too funny.

Preparing students to be self-actualized: Am I teaching the right things?

In a previous post about financial management, I said, “I believe the purpose of college is to prepare students for careers that will enable them to be independent, productive members of society capable of managing all aspects of their lives.” I stand by that. Ah, make that, I sit by that (think about it).

My specific responsibility at Towson is to teach Mass Communication subjects in the PR Track — PR writing, strategic and integrated communication/PR planning and management, principles of PR, and PR for nonprofits. But I am doing enough?

Every class I teach includes at least some reference to Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This is usually part of teaching students to analyze publics and their motivations to set the stage for persuasion. At the top of that hierarchy is self-actualization. My favorite author Marsha Sinetar says that simply means growing whole. Am I helping students to become whole? Is that part of my responsibility?

Perhaps it is not directly my responsibility, but I want to help students become whole, to become self-actualized people equipped to deal with life successfully. College years are a time of discovery, a time to learn and explore options. It is a time for students to learn to do something that will support them and allow them to be productive, responsible, independent citizens.

Ultimately, I believe that college provides the framework for students to find their right livelihood.

College years are filled with decision-making opportunities. I firmly believe that growing up means learning to make wise choices. That’s a tough one. Which career path should I follow? What do I really want to do? What do I really want out of life? Setting career goals and making wise choices that will get you there is the real beauty — and terror — of college.

Sinetar says that every time we consciously choose something, however insignificant it might seem, in line with what we feel is highest and best in ourselves, we support our true life goals.

Students are saying: “So, professor dude, like where’s the wikipedia info to show us like how to do this?”

News flash: You already have all the guidance you need. It is inside you.

First, you have to examine your inner programming to determine what tapes are playing on a continuous loop in your brain. Are you genuinely pursuing your own path or one that has been programmed for you. This can be as simple as gender-specific roles that society programs us to adopt. Men do certain jobs and women do certain jobs. Period. End of story.  Is such programming interfering with your pursuing a desired career path? If so, erase the tapes.

Next, consider what you want out of life. While it takes a certain income level to be above the poverty line, how much money is enough? Is money that important to you? If so, then you must consider what career path will lead you to the riches you desire. 

Pursuing the big bucks means some serious sacrifice. The people I’ve worked with who made the most money worked the longest hours and had the most difficult assignments. Their relationships and their health suffered because of it. Everything is a trade off — if being rich is your goal, then you can do it, but be prepared for the personal cost it demands.

I firmly believe that you can have a meaningful career that allows for your personal growth and make enough money to be comfortable, too.

It gets back to choices. Choose to know who you are and what you want to be. Then, study what career options are open to you that will allow you to travel the road to self-actualization, to wholeness. There are many paths to wholeness, but only you can choose which is right for you.

Remember, it is not so much what you do, but who you are, that matters.

A Zen proverb says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” This has always proven to be true in my life. I have lived three times longer than my average-age student. One advantage I have over my students is I have been my age and their age, too.

My advice to students is to trust this proverb. When you are ready, the teacher you need will appear, or on the job, the mentor you need will find you. But you have to trust this to make it work. You have to believe.

So much in life is based on the choices we make and what we believe. Know yourself, believe in yourself, and make wise choices that affirm who you are and what you want to be. Do this, and you WILL live successfully.

 

 

Ethics as a firm foundation for success

“In responsibility both obedience and freedom are realized. Responsibility implies tension between obedience and freedom. There would be no more responsibility if either were made independent of the other.”

– Dietrich Bonhoffer, “Freedom,” in Ethics

There comes a time when we have to adopt an ethical code to govern our lives. To live a professional life, as college prepares us for, is to learn responsibility. To live a responsible life is to live an ethical life. No matter what we do in life, no matter what our ultimate profession, an underpinning of ethics is necessary to be responsible.

Teachers are especially grounded in ethics. Education programs include healthy doses of ethics as part of the training.

Better communication/public relations programs include ethics as well. Towson’s PR Track includes a strong course in ethics. But beyond that one course, ethics is a subject taught in every one of my classes. In this time of heightened scrutiny of organizations due to such highly-publicized situations as the Enron and Worldcom scandals, to name just two, an ethical underpinning is critical to organizational success. No organization can have good PR in the absence of ethical business practice.

Where does it start? Where does an ethical perspective come from? Simply enough, I think the old saying, “if it is to be, then it begins with me,” fits nicely here. The college years are a great time for a future communication/PR practitioner or educator to form a personal ethical code.

John Dalla Costa said “to be ethical is first and foremost a choice.” Once this choice is made, a communicator/PR practitioner who chooses to practice ethically can look to IABC and PRSA for codes of ethics that will provide detailed guidance.

The same is true for educators. Codes of ethics are readily available from a variety of sources, including school boards. As a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society for education, I have a network of top educators for advice and counsel plus many professional development opportunities.

But while there is a wealth of external guidance for ethics, I believe that adopting a personal code begins with an examination of who we are and what we believe. Much of this — if not all — is shaped by our own life experiences. Sometimes we must overcome early programming to behave ethically as adults. This requires reflection and self-examination. To practice ethically as a communication/PR professional or an educator, we must understand our own motivations and predispositions in order to challenge them if they interfere with our being able to act ethically.

Growing up is hard work, no matter what age we are. After much reflection, the underpinning of my own ethical code is simply this: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

To me, the Golden Rule is the golden key to living successfully, fully, and ethically.

 

Technology as Repo Man

Continuing the theme of financial management, I heard something interesting today listening to Ric Edelman’s (see previous post) radio show. Banks that make car loans have a bold new way of dealing with customers who miss payments.  When a loan is made, banks have a device installed on the car that it can activate and render the auto unable to start when a loan customer misses a payment. The message? Stay current on loan payments or sit at home.

Financial management for graduating seniors

BFF Robert J. Holland visited Towson last week. He sat in my two PR Writing classes, offering insight and wisdom from his years of experience. He also spoke to our Student PR Group on what students need to know to be successful in their careers. Robert’s involvement with my students constituted a wonderful professional development opportunity.

But there was another aspect to Robert’s visit that has me thinking. When we weren’t talking about communication/PR/IMC, Robert and I were talking about personal financial management. At 45 and a successful independent communication consultant, Robert is concerned with financial management. So am I. I always have been.

Robert and I talked personal financial management strategy from our respective viewpoints. He has two sons, ages 15 and 11. My son is 31 and has a family of his own. Therefore, our financial needs and considerations are different. He is raising and educating his two fine sons. He must manage his money to do this effectively. He must also plan for retirement. I have been there, done that. At 60, my most compelling need is to plan for retirement (but not any time soon, for I love what I am doing far too much to quit).

Our conversations crystallized my thinking into this: I believe that every college student ought to be required to take personal financial management courses. What better gift for students than to help them become competent money managers. I believe the purpose of college is to prepare students for careers that will enable them to be independent, productive members of society capable of managing all aspects of their lives. Money management is critical to success.

Disclaimer: I am not a certified financial manager. It is not my place to advise people on financial management. There are many qualified experts available for that. However, I have studied financial management all of my life out of necessity and interest, but I retain the services of a qualified, certified, credentialed financial expert to manage my personal portfolio. My advisor is with Edelman Financial Services, LLC. I am not the one to tell you what to invest in, but I will tell you to learn to manage money.  It is a life skill that will serve you well, and you can learn it.

In order to get to a point where I needed a financial adviser, I had to learn to manage money effectively on my own. This I did with great enthusiasm. From my first paycheck from my first real job, I followed a simple, yet powerful, strategy: I saved money and lived within my means. That simply means that I practiced a concept all-too-foreign to many today, that is, delayed gratification. I refused to let myself fall into the trap of “must have it now no matter whether or not I can afford it.” I did not run up debt to have things. I saved and invested 25 cents out of every dollar I ever made.  That was my simple financial management strategy for many years. And you know what? It worked. 

Now, students who are nearing graduation must begin to think about issues like personal financial management. It will soon fall to them to earn their own money and manage it in order to meet the daily obligations of living productively and independently. It is now time to adopt a longer-term perspective. I strongly urge graduates to practice delayed gratification. When you begin earning your first paychecks, do not rush into buying expensive cars, clothing, or things you don’t really need. Wait. Build up your resources. Save and invest money. Before you know it, you will have amassed a substantial reserve to help you in troubled times or to use for some enjoyment or the down payment on a great house.

Thinking long-term, if you wish to marry and raise a family, current estimates are that raising a child from birth to age 18 requires expenditures of approximately $200,000. Add a college education, and the total rises to $250,000. Plus, that is added to general day-to-day expenses of running a household.

So, where can you turn for advice? Edelman Financial Services’ founder, Ric Edelman, offers us all we need to know in his book The Truth About Money, Third Edition. This book is a solid investment for anyone who wishes to become a competent personal financial manager. If you want to learn to manage your money, then this book will teach you how.