There has been a lot of noise around the recruiting world regarding using social networking sites like myspace.com (and to a lesser degree Facebook) to identify and learn about young (mostly entry-level) candidates.

The good news is that there are millions of potential employees out there on the social networking sites.  The bad news for recruiters is that using these tools may be a waste of time, and possibly even a legal risk to the employer.

And now the students are beginning to realize that there is a professional risk as well.

Check out this email that I had forwarded to me this morning:

From:      XXXXX@ms3.hunter.cuny.edu on behalf of XXXX XXXXXXXX [XXXXX@hunter.cuny.edu]
To:          Recipient list suppressed
Subject:   Using Online Social Networks

Several recent news stories serve as useful reminders about the risks that go along with putting personal information on the Internet.

According to The New York Times, many companies, besides looking at transcripts and resumes, are also checking college graduates sites on MySpace, Facebook and Friendster. Some employers have rejected job applicants because they thought their postings were inappropriate or offensive. The fact that the material was presumed to be private didn't matter. Neither did the fact that it was often meant to be satirical or deliberately outrageous.

Another recent New York Times story reported that Internet stalkers are prowling sites like MySpace, looking for personal information that can lead them to potential victims.

We know most of you are very sensible about using the Internet. But some of you may mistakenly think that whatever you post is restricted to a small circle of friends and fellow students.

The news stories prove this isn't necessarily true.  Personal information can fall into the wrong hands with harmful consequences. Material that seems funny or cool when its posted may look like a red flag to a prospective employer or graduate school.

MySpace, Facebook and similar sites are no longer the private places they once were. Hunter students need to recognize that and exercise discretion and common sense when going online. 

You should be careful when responding to inquiries, no matter how innocent they may seem, and requests for information, even from people you think you can trust.  Keep in mind that identity theft is a major Internet industry and that its victims often suffer painful and long-lasting consequences.

If you have any questions or reasons for concern, Hunter College can provide you with confidential counseling services.  Contact Dr. XXXX XXXX at (212) XXX-XXXX or XXXXX@hunter.cuny.edu .

Remember that the technology has evolved, and so has the world's reaction to it.

XXXX XXXXXXXX
Vice President for Student Affairs
And Dean of Students

As students awareness grows that these sites are valuable professionally as well as socially (and don't forget SimplyHired's Myspace deal) it will be interesting to see how their use of those sites evolves.