I, as several of our staff, have a Facebook account. I mostly did it so I understood what students were talking about, but now I find that I enjoy catching up with friends and family (and keeping up with my daughters). As an office, we’ve been increasingly using LinkedIn and I have an account there. I also have a Ning account through an academic connection. So now with me blogging and social networking, hopefully I’m a really cool mom.
A colleague at another institution posed a great question a few weeks ago, “Is it okay to “link in” with recruiters? What about linking up with students? Only some students? If students can access your links to recruiters and you don’t link up with all students are they being denied access to an employment network (NACE principle #6)? How much information should we share via our own profiles? Anything we want? How should we respond to requests for ‘recommendations’? “
I have thought about that, I’ve had students who I briefly met ask to be my friend” and recruiters asking me to “link” with them. What does that friendship mean? Do I want them to know my favorite movie or that I’m fighting a cold? Do I care that they are short of sleep or just bought a new coat? It seems rude to “ignore” a request – I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Does that person who is asking to be my friend really want me, for me, to be their friend or are they hoping for an inside track to opportunities? I think this is an area that we may need to be developing internal policies – just as some of our K-12 people are doing telling teachers to not have students as Facebook friends.
Chris Timm, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Principles for Professional Practice Committee Chair
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1 comment:
I am a career coach at a large university and I too have wrestled with the the facebook dilemna. I see it more as a social page for catching up with old friends, etc. Nothing too grand in the workplace, but I know we are moving towards that as a society that is online.
I have however, used LinkedIn to help recruiters find our students (not specific students of course, but for them to send me postings and for me to send that out through our Symplicity system). It is a win-win situation. I have had employers that I don't know look me up on LinkedIn and send me a posting, or ask me who is someone to contact at a particular school. I think it has been quite beneficial and as long as I'm not forwarding a job post to a particular student, I don't believe FERPA or any other ethical mores are being violated.
You are more than welcome to invite me as a friend on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/changesolutions. Thanks, James
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