Social media has destroyed privacy, and it’s not the users we should be worried about. It’s the developers of the platforms. Related:What Your Social Media Says About You To Employers In 2010, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg was on record stating that “the age of privacy was over.” He went on further to explain, if he were to create Facebook again today, user information by default would be public, not private as it was for years until the company changed dramatically in December. When the founders, co-founders and developers of social media platforms are confronted with the question of privacy, they often answer the question with a pseudo-philosophical response about how the world is evolving and everyone is becoming more connected. This is nonsense. The real reason these platforms are continually exposing more of their user’s private information to the public is to monetize their platforms. As a social media marketing manager for seven years, I’ve seen social media rise since it's infancy. I’ve also done a great deal of ad buying. One of the things that’s always been a hinderance to conversions (leads and sales) has been the lack of information social platforms such as Facebook or Twitter offer to advertisers. This makes for terrible conversion rates because the demographic you advertise to is too broad. As such, Facebook is constantly on the prowl to gain more personal information from their users. Linkedin has apparently taken notice of advancing their ad platform as well, which is why they’re facing a class-action lawsuit. You should be very concerned. The lawsuit alleges that a product developed for premium users (typically job recruiters or employers) violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a law passed in 1970 to protect people from being unfairly denied access to a mortgage, credit, or employment based on a background check or credit report. The product being referred to is Linkedin’s “Reference Search” tool. This tool allows premium users to check the references of a Linkedin user and send them a private message using Linkedin’s Inmail system. This opens up Pandora’s Box for obvious reasons, because it allows a recruiter or employer to contact a prospect’s former co-workers or employers to ask for details about a job candidate that are not allowed to be legally obtained, according to employment laws in most states. Instead of simply saying yes or no to the question, “Do you deem person X hireable?” a conversation could carry on about a person that leads into illegal territories by exposing excessive information about a job candidate that leads them to being denied for a position. This is especially true when considering that a prospective employer could contact a former co-worker of a job applicant who may not have a favorable opinion of that person. That opinion could then be used to sway the opinion of the hiring manager or recruiter, and therein lies the problem. This is a gross violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act. At least, I think it is. In case you think this is all a bunch of theories and hypothetical circumstances, you’d be wrong. One person involved in this class-action lawsuit has had a prospective employer come forth who admitted to denying her a job because of a reference she contacted from Linkedin. Linkedin claims that the information premium users have access to is information that the user’s have already made public, which takes them off the hook legally. Unfortunately, that’s true. By nature of Linkedin’s public resume’ platform, your career history and everyone you’ve worked for and worked with is on display for the entire world to see. So, is Linkedin really responsible for the abuse committed by those who use their platform? The answer to that question is irrelevant. The real question is, do you feel comfortable continuing to be a member of Linkedin, knowing that the information you opt to post publically can be used against you? The most frightening thing is that you could have been denied jobs and didn’t even know it because backdoor conversations could have been taken place without your knowledge.
Everyone has heard of New Year's resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves about things we'll do better in the year ahead. Sometimes these resolutions work, while other times we end up with gym memberships we never use! But have you ever heard of a career resolution? It's actually the same thing as a New Year's resolution, only career-focused.
However, with something as important as a career, you don't want to break these resolutions. That's why it's important to keep these goals manageable.
Here are four simple career resolutions that are easy to stick to and achieve.
Be Self-Aware Of Where You Stand In Your Career
BigstockBeing honest and self-aware of where you are in your career is the most important step in making strong career resolutions. If your career is going nowhere and you're unhappy, then it may be time to consider a career change, which will take you down a different path entirely.
But if you're happy and in good standing with your career, it's a lot easier to set goals for the year and build out a long-term career plan.
Find A Way To Grow Your Career
BigstockCareer growth is a very broad spectrum that means something different to everyone. It could be something as simple as improving on a weakness or building on a strength. It could also be learning a new skill or taking on additional responsibilities at work.
On a larger level, it could be seeking a promotion or moving into a leadership role.
Whatever the goal is, make sure it includes growing professionally. The worst thing you can do is stay the same! If you're not growing your career, you're dying—and becoming a lot less valuable to your employer. There are always ways to upskill!
Better Serve Your Professional Network
With current colleagues, former colleagues, and other professional acquaintances, you've probably built a solid professional network through the years. A strong professional network can come in handy if you lose your job or are looking to make a career change. However, you shouldn't just rely on your network when you're in need!
It's important to find ways to offer value to your network. This could include checking in with members of your network from time to time. Exchange messages on LinkedIn to see how they're doing or share relevant content of interest. If you can help someone in your network going through a career challenge, you should!
Maintaining a strong professional network is like an investment. If you want it to pay off, you have to put some time into it and be consistent.
Take Care Of Yourself
Bigstock
Working on your career is hard work! It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Whether you're working to grow your career or looking for a new job, it's important to find balance.
Your family and health always come first, so make sure your career goals don't interfere with that. If you want to set aside time during the week to work on your career that's fine, but don't miss important family events or milestones.
Don't let your career goals get in the way of your health goals. Go to the gym, take a walk, or go for a jog. Balance is key to maintaining healthy career and life goals. Sometimes you just need to adjust that balance as you go.
Need help sticking to your career resolutions?
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.