Would you put your MN username on a job application?

[noblegiraffe]

A school job application form requests that applicants give all social media usernames, including any pseudonyms and details of any websites they are involved with, for background safeguarding checks.

I understand that they might do a Google search and find publicly available stuff but this feels way too intrusive.

I can’t say that I’d apply for a job there.

schoolsweek.co.uk/teaching-hopefuls-asked-for-details-of-any-website-youre-named-on/

Surely if you had to do that you would just delete the MN account and re register.

And people shout paranoid about the social credit system in China coming over to the Western world....

There are mechanisms already in place for safeguarding children but how far could it be taken? The possibility of transmitting "wrongthink" in terms of political views, or "being on the wrong side of history" ( which is perilously easy in these fast moving and judgemental times ) . If you're keeping those views outside of school you should retain the right to discuss them anonymously online.

There's precious little privacy in the modern technological world - the goal is for there to be none whatsoever.

They could still read all your old posts though, unless you asked for, and MN agreed to, delete every one of them?

I wasn't asked this for a school job, my enhanced DBS was enough. If I was asked, I'd say no!

Would a school know which posts were yours though and if you had every had an account, I use hide my email for stuff like this as it never seems that secure and don't want the faff of have to change my email on everything if there is a hack. I have deleted my account a couple of times just in case MN gets hacked so there is not too much info there and find it difficult to find my own old posts as obviously they aren't highlighted.

I worked at a school who banned all social media for staff and actively checked. It was part of HR policy.
I also know someone who was sacked from Dwp for talking unfavourably about the clients.

The whole point of MN is the anonymity.
A secondary school pupil couldn't identify it was you and use it against you (which is what they're trying to stop I suppose) so no, not a chance would I declare it!

@louise5754

Well, you could, where you name change it gives you a list of your user names - all of which are still yours.

as to the original question. Not my MN names, no.

not sure about other SM. I don't do any, but if I did, I'd make sure it didn't contain anything I would mind pupils/parents/school reading. But I do think it's up to the employer to try to find the information, if they can't it's not an issue is it?!

Well, you could, where you name change it gives you a list of your user names - all of which are still yours.

If you re register you don't have access to those names so you wouldn't able to list them

My Twitter is only used for moaning to companies like British Gas that you only seem to be able to contact through Twitter or Facebook, I don't use Facebook

Haha yeah! I think my username would bag me the job. Especially when I demonstrate and teach the kid's the oinky split dance move my son made 😂

Hahaha

No. I wouldn't give my MN username (any of them😂) to anyone ever, full stop. Least of all a prospective employer.

Well now we all know that. You've just outed poor Sally Jones 🤭

Yes but I’m only on here.

So does that mean they just search for your online presence by your name?

The Times are reporting is as also including dating profiles.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/6d52f4c8-9369-11ed-beb4-99fcdfa7645c?shareToken=a5e8db7b3855b045b1d51509ab0c0aa8

Not sure I'd want a prospective employer reading about how I like snuggles and long walks on the beach either.

Just making teaching jobs even less attractive than they already are

Actually it’s not optional any more. Now you must give them all of your usernames and IDs on all of your social media, over the last 5 years. If you don’t they may not let you in. And it was Trump who pushed for it!

How can they prove it though? My job search email is seperate from my social media email which is seperate from my shopping email I even have an e-reciept email how are they going to link the them all

No! I work in a school and never been asked for this. Ive filled out several application forms for jobs in schools.

It would put me off applying for that job because it's an invasion of my private life.

Never

So no-one was allowed a Facebook profile or an Instagram or Twitter or anything? I can't believe people would choose to work there.

As long as you're not identifiable publicly then I see no harm in having SM profiles. I have a username on here that could probably identify me if someone who knew me read all the posts together, but I use it to post things that I don't mind being out there. It's all very bland. So I could give them that username, I suppose.

On other SM I've deliberately used my maiden name so current and potential colleagues and employers can't find me. I don't use my photo for my profile photo either and keep everything private. My teacher friends have fake names on SM generally so pupils can't find them.

I think checking usernames is the way things will be now. These companies who check will be utilised by schools to spot-check pupil profiles and by companies to check employees. It'll become the new norm and just be yet another way our freedoms are being restricted.

Good grief. They'll be asking to accompany people into the confessional next 🙄

I don’t know. I haven’t applied for any jobs since the KCSIE update. I think we all assumed they would just look for your given name.
They can look on WhatsApp, FaceBook and Instagram for me. As far as I’m concerned those are the only online platforms they need to know about.

WhatsApp? But that’s private messaging.