Comments on Ask a Manager: things I don't want to know about you

Whatever you do...if you call the guy in for a job...

2009-07-09T03:57:00.789-04:00

Whatever you do...if you call the guy in for a job interview make sure you DON'T SHAKE HIS HANDS AND BE SURE TO USE HAND SANITIZER ON ALL OF THE DOOR KNOBS AND OTHER THINGS HE TOUCHES WHEN HE LEAVES...what an idiot. You have got to be kidding me. Is this for real?

I would have rejected this person on the grounds o...

2009-07-06T13:48:48.794-04:00

I would have rejected this person on the grounds of poor word choice, alone. "Chronic" makes it sound like there's some pathology involved. Like it's a sickness, not just a favorite pastime. "Unapologetic" or "inveterate" or maybe "card-carrying" would have been more appropriate if you ask me.

I think in this case (not all), an appropriate res...

2009-07-04T08:44:12.923-04:00

I think in this case (not all), an appropriate response is "OMG!"

Hubby and I conferred. You have a unanimous "eew"...

2009-07-03T23:18:34.951-04:00

Hubby and I conferred. You have a unanimous "eew" here.

Haha! I love it. The real question has to be wheth...

2009-07-03T16:37:36.754-04:00

Haha! I love it. The real question has to be whether or not this person got an interview =)

Seriously, though. It's ok to mention your blog, if the content in it is appropriate for the profession. In a situation like this, it might be a good idea to have both a professional and a personal blog... and link accordingly.

@Prius, I got a very common fist and lastname. If ...

2009-07-03T11:52:27.571-04:00

@Prius, I got a very common fist and lastname. If you google on it you'll find lots and lots of results about other people with the same name. As for my blog you can't find my real name on it. Also I am blogging in a language which isn't the main language in the country I live in plus people don't expect me to be a gamer. There are few people who know me irl who know I have this blog, the hardly read it. For me it is very easy to deny that the blog is mine :)

I am very libertarian. However, in this case call...

2009-07-03T11:11:09.157-04:00

I am very libertarian. However, in this case call me an old-fashioned prude as I see this as a form of exhibitionism; especially since he expected AAM or anyone reviewing his resume to see/read about it. He cannot have honestly thought that it was "okay."

Even if he did not include a link on his resume and I only did a search on his name (depending as AAM says on how it is executed,"Is it funny or smart, or is it immature or creepy?") I might still consider it to be a form of exhibitionism and someone that I would not expect to be hired in a professional environment.

As an employee I would be bothered by a co-worker who put this kind of info on line associated with his name. And I would be even more bothered if management knew about it before they hired him!

How "innocent" will management claim to be when (not if) he exposes himself to someone in the workplace?

Maybe my comment is overkill; especially since I am jumping to a conclusion without all the facts (i.e.,"Is it funny or smart, or is it immature or creepy?"). But people have been rejected as job candidates for a lot less.

An interview with a happy finish! Where do I sign ...

2009-07-03T11:07:59.843-04:00

An interview with a happy finish! Where do I sign up?

haha...kidding people.

LOL @ HRD! Chronic masturbation is definitely anal...

2009-07-03T09:20:42.816-04:00

LOL @ HRD! Chronic masturbation is definitely analogous to a LOT of jobs...

Is he asking for an accomodation? :-)

2009-07-03T08:42:41.536-04:00

Is he asking for an accomodation? :-)

I think if I had just found it by googling him, it...

2009-07-03T08:33:52.864-04:00

I think if I had just found it by googling him, it would depend on how it was executed. Is it funny or smart, or is it immature or creepy? (And Rampancy, to answer your question, he was writing in the third person, rather than as a confessional, which also helps.)

With this guy, it was what it said about his judgment that he'd include a link to it right under the signature on his cover letter. Presumably that link is there because he wants you to click on it, and then when you do, it's basically the equivalent of including an essay on masturbation as his writing sample.

But if it hadn't happened that way, if instead I'd found it on my own? Much less of a big deal. And then the question would go back to how it was executed. But that's just me; I wouldn't be surprised if some people would disqualify him no matter how good the execution, even if he were Philip Roth writing Portnoy's Complaint.

Would I hold it against them? I'm not sure, but I...

2009-07-03T07:59:48.930-04:00

Would I hold it against them?

I'm not sure, but I would certainly think twice about shaking their hand at the interview.

Surely the issue is whether its a core competency ...

2009-07-03T06:35:09.078-04:00

Surely the issue is whether its a core competency for the role.....?

Rampancy: I agree, but I guess the issue is that s...

2009-07-03T02:09:19.010-04:00

Rampancy:
I agree, but I guess the issue is that some employers who googled someone and found their blog dedicated to, say: Halo fandom, might have a similar reaction.
It seems to me that, so long as a person doesn't put it on their resume (stupid), there should be an element of "Oh, so that's what they do in their freetime!" when any search of this kind is performed.
And I was just wondering what the Ask-a-manager thought.

Can't believe it! It's crazy. A couple months I w...

2009-07-03T01:30:49.079-04:00

Can't believe it! It's crazy.

A couple months I wrote a post which answered a query: Do I mention my blog on my resume. http://tinyurl.com/p9lxav

Crazy, ridiculous. What was the link by the way? ...

2009-07-02T22:52:02.632-04:00

Crazy, ridiculous. What was the link by the way? Just kidding.

Wow, that Founder's Pale Ale almost came out the n...

2009-07-02T22:41:10.038-04:00

Wow, that Founder's Pale Ale almost came out the nose. This is one for the books.

Wow. I think this is going to be one of your most ...

2009-07-02T22:21:42.391-04:00

Wow. I think this is going to be one of your most memorable candidates.

T.M.I. people, T.M. freaking I.!

2009-07-02T18:40:10.158-04:00

T.M.I. people, T.M. freaking I.!

Prius it's a bit unrealistic to not have it hold a...

2009-07-02T17:27:32.049-04:00

Prius it's a bit unrealistic to not have it hold against you don't you think?

AAM for the record did this person wrote that he is a "chronic masturbater" or did you conclude that after reading his blog?

Great question Prius. A big reason I haven't start...

2009-07-02T17:08:41.872-04:00

Great question Prius. A big reason I haven't started my blog is because I don't want to overly censor myself right out the gate.

That being said, chronic masturbating? OVERshare!

But if they had not put this blog on their resume ...

2009-07-02T16:59:02.768-04:00

But if they had not put this blog on their resume but you had found it by googling their name, would you hold it against them?