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Yes

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Why not? I mean, really, if you've got something you don't want on there... well, it is your page, you control it. That means if there's a high likelihood that anybody whose opinion of you may influence your success can see it, you might want to selectively exclude some of your interests. If you think you'd get hired if one of your hobbies is "smokeing tha reefer," then by all means, publicize it. You're only giving the rest of us unemployed folks a better chance of getting hired.

In fact, that brings me to another point: Even if NOT to learn about a prospective employee's escapades, it's a pretty good way of finding out just how a person behaves, and more importantly, how they conduct themselves as a person. Imagine that you are an employer, and you have two people to choose from, based solely on their Myspace pages. Applicant A has a well-arranged page, with an interesting background; maybe something that illustrates their interests or talents. They have more of a color scheme than black/white, but at the same time it's easy on the eyes. Their blog entries are meaningful and well-written. Applicant B, on the other hand, has a giant "glittery" cannabis leaf in the background; bright green on black, of course. B also employs a hot pink-on-black-with-white-borders color scheme and the layout? Well, who has time for a layout when there are better things to be done, like writing such gems in your blog as "Shoop da woop?" It doesn't exactly take a rocket surgeon to figure out which person is going to make a better employee.

See? It is not even about what you do, but how you go about things that affects your image. Again, though, if you really feel that it is necessary to broadcast your idiocy for the world to see, then so be it. Then again, how difficult is it to set your page to "private?" Problem solved. You can go on being an idiot and your prospective boss is none the wiser. If that's not a win-win situation, I simply do not know what is. Well, except for your now-dead brain cells. But they're probably screwed, anyway.

And lastly: This business about your "privacy" being violated? Forget it! You're posting things on the Internet on social networking sites, no less. There's a reason successful people swear by networking, and it isn't just because it's fun. It's a good way to learn more about people than you would just interviewing them.

Learn more about this author, Christopher Ratti.
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