Take this job and flush it
Nobody wants to lose their job when the economy is in the toilet. But if you must talk your way out of a solid job, opt for the efficient, low-flow method. Just don’t expect to be able to apply for short term loans until you’re back on your feet.
Helen Popkin reports for MSNBC that a would-be Cisco employee’s careless Twitter proved she was an efficiency expert. Said prospect – aka “theconnor” – Twittered her way straight back into the unemployment line. Remember, folks: what you do online can be seen, particularly if you frequent social networking sites. Don’t Twitter like theconnor:
Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.
Cisco Fatty was a friend of mine… she flushed her job, Twitter in the ‘vine
In no time, Cisco’s Tim Levad spotted theconnor’s message and responded live:
Who is the hiring manager? I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.
At this point, theconner attempted to make her Twitter account and member page private. But the damage had already been done.
Somebody’s watching you
“theconner” became the stuff of legend, earning the nickname “Cisco Fatty.” Before the work day was over, she was already been mocked on YouTube and with a “tribute” Web site. Even if Cisco decides to look the other way, there’s a clear lesson here for all of us: watch what you say online, because someone could always be watching you…
Survival of the Twitterific
Popkin nails this on the head when she writes that “It’s like virtual Darwinism. The ‘Cisco Fattys‘ of the world are damned by their own senselessness. It’s only a matter of time before each they stumble on the Twitterific platform of their ruin.”
It happens quite often in the career world. In fact, it even happens to politicians. Recently, Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) tweeted this as-it-happens update regarding his group’s location and destination within Iraq:
Moved into green zone by helicopter Iraqi flag now over palace. Headed to new US embassy Appears calmer less chaotic than previous here.
“Dewey Defeats Truman!”
Luckily, hostile forces were not following Mr. Hoekstra’s tweets. If they had been, security could have been compromised and lives could have been lost. In a less life-threatening situation, another politico (Jeff Frederick, chair of Virginia’s Republican Party) recently thwarted his own party’s Congressional coup:
Big news coming out of Senate: Apparently one dem is either switching or leaving the dem caucus. Negotiations for power sharing underway.
Of course the Democrats were following Frederick’s Twitter feed, and negotiations were stuffed. Don’t let your career path get stuffed due to online carelessness. Don’t be a Cisco Fatty. Be mindful of whether your words could come back to haunt you.
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What an idiot! It serves her right for having a big, fat ego. Always be careful how you portray yourself, even when it’s behind closed doors. Whatever you do will come back around, whether it’s in a positive or negative form.
“Loose Lips, Sink Ships.” It holds true. Whatever you do, if you’re going to bad mouth someone, do it in a way where it can’t come back to haunt you. Trashing your new employer on the internet, and especially a computer technology company, is just not a good idea. This person might not have been intelligent enough to keep their job in the long run anyway.
What if somebody is misusing your name online? Can the Internet be used to frame you?
What if a jealous colleague wants to ruin your career and make you look bad to future employers?