Googling potential job applicants

Saturday’s NY Daily News has an article on how Google has become the poor man’s private investigator.

“An increasing number of employers are investigating potential hires online to find out more about an applicant than what's on their résumé.”

I suspect that many people would be shocked at what others can find about them via the internets. In this past November’s election, someone wrote in my name for mayor of Durham County and that information now shows up under my name in a Google search.

“Bloggers may also have reason for concern. When Ciara Healy applied for a job at a university, she had no idea her personal blog could get her into trouble. But when a member of the search committee Googled her, he found she had called him a "belligerent jerk," though not by name, and canceled the interview.”

This is the exactly why I do not mention my name on this blog.