Social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace are great for finding old friends, keeping in contact with new ones, sharing information etc. but they are given a bad name due to the way they are sometimes misused. I am of course referring to abuse, viruses and so on… but there is another issue - the ‘Big Brother’ Boss.

We are now hearing more and more about how recruiters are looking at candidates social networking sites as a basis, or at least an indication of whether an individual is suitable for a job. This seems rediculous to me. Working on the assumption that your average employer wouldn’t follow you down the pub on a Friday night and judge what your work performance would be like based on that, why should investigating you on Facebook be acceptable?

The whole point of having an interview is that you are given a clean slate and a fair opportunity to demonstrate your intelligence, knowledge, ability, likeability and professionalism - by invading our personal lives in this way employers are taking this opportunity away from us. Most employees know how to seperate business and pleasure, I think it’s the employers who need to be distinguishing between the two.