A new study reveals most employers are creeping on your profile before they hire and just how much privacy do you have over your laptop content--Two techy topics people are buzzing about here in Northwest Ohio and across the nation.
Let us know what you think of these topics by commenting below and by connecting with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages. I'm always looking for new trends too--tweet @lizvreed and use #NWOhioTrends!
1) A new study by Career Enlightenment reveals that 89 percent of companies use social media networks for recruiting in 2011. And 79 percent of those hiring managers are googling and searching for you on Facebook and Twitter before they give the OK.
Social networking is an extremely powerful tool that shows off your personality, your thoughts and, of course, your talents. But many are asking--"Just how do I find the balance between both worlds?"
Shira Lazar from CBS What's Trending spoke with a few social media experts, who had plenty of advice to give:
• Don't limit yourself to Linkedin—employers are using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ to find candidates.
• Remember: 1/3 of employers rejected candidates based on something they found out about them online, so exercise discretion in EVERY tweet, all the time
• Twitter is "a constantly updating resume," so your online identity should be your best personality. Don't be afraid to crack jokes or sarcastically comment on something you notice in the news--just take 3 seconds to think "Would I want a professional to know this about me?" Before you hit post.
• Connect with the company you want to work for by following them and responding to their posts-If they're researching your social media profiles, you should do the same back!
Do you have a social media job search success story or tips for the masses? Share with us below and @wnwotv!
2) There are two important cases about laptop content security and privacy here in Ohio this week that have many tweeting their own two cents: Should people have an expectation of privacy for lewd photos or porn on their laptops?
The first case is about evidence concerning a Toledo man who is facing charges of child rape. When he fled town in 2008, he left behind his laptop at his mother's house. Suspicious, Sharon Easterwood turned the laptop into authorities and reported her concerns about the actions of her son, Dennis Gould. Police searched the hard drive and discovered child porn.
The problem is they didn't have a warrant, and now the Ohio Supreme Court has to decide how long a hard drive can be left behind before it's considered abandoned property. The ruling will determine whether or not prosecutors can use the hard drive as evidence against Gould.
The second case: A Ohio woman settled her lawsuit about laptop sex images on Tuesday after securing a "reasonable expectation of privacy."
Susan Clements-Jeffrey had been emailing risque photos to her boyfriend, a teacher for Clark County School District, to a stolen laptop he purchased unknowingly.
A security company tracking the computer grabbed the images of Clements-Jeffery and sent them to police. Both were arrested by Springfield Police for accepting stolen property.
While the charges were quickly dropped, Clements-Jeffery and her boyfriend sued the Springfield Police, saying they had a reasonable expectation of privacy since they did not know the laptop was stolen. A district court judge agreed with her and upheld the lawsuit, which was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.
Should people have an expectation of privacy for lewd photos on laptops? How should it differentiate if the computers are private, abandoned, or stolen? Let us know below!
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