Readin, Writin, 'Rithmatic... And Multiple Shots Of Tequila!

A juicy little job story popped up on the front page of the Washington Post this morning... It turns out more and more young teachers are getting in trouble or even fired for having racy thoughts and sometimes even racier photos on their personal Facebook or Myspace pages. It seems these teachers are practicing education by day and fornication (among other things) by night... and they are not shy about it, either!

This phenomenon does not just apply to school teachers. Way back in the day, when I was hiring people myself instead of trying to get hired, it became a routine part of my vetting process to google job candidates to find out what I could find out about them. I can tell you that more than one person lost out on jobs because their personal lives were far too indiscreet! I really don't mind if young 20-somethings are having a wild time when they're off the clock - in fact, I applaud it. However, if they are naive or stupid enough to lay it all out there for their bosses and prospective future employers to see, then I'm not at all sure they are smart or mature enough to be working for me.

Some people apparently think they can control how much of their personal information gets out on Facebook and other similar pages... But loopholes abound, and besides - your privacy only extends as far as your online friends allow it to. In other words - even if you DO want to show discretion about yourself, it doesn't mean your "friends" will!

Some of the teachers in the Post article said they felt their personal lives are no one else's business. I totally agree. But the privacy rule only applies if you keep your private life private!