An Open Letter to Employers Who Search for My Profile on Google

Thank you for taking a look at my recent application, and I am pleased that you are considering me for employment. However, if you are reading this letter it is because you searched for my name on a search engine, such as Google, Yahoo, Ask.com, or any of a myriad others. And I find myself wondering, why?

In all likelihood, I applied for a position in your company because I feel that I have something to add to your team. And yet, while I feel I will be a valuable addition to your company, there are times when I will not be working for it. In these times, I am free to pursue my own interests. I may update a Facebook page, post to LiveJournal, write an article for Associated Content, or update a Twitter feed. I may post comments, browse forums, upload photographs, or download mp3s from Amazon. I will post personal opinions, thoughts, and feelings.

And while you may feel it is prudent to screen your applicants for potential issues, such as drug abuse or an unhealthy interest in child pornography, there are better ways of doing so. So why you have come here, really, is to try and get to know me as a person. And you may read something that I have written, posted, or uploaded that offends your sensibilities. Perhaps you do not like my views on God, or you dislike my political bias. Perhaps you feel that my hobbies are not "proper" or that my taste in music is not up to your personal standards.

When you slip into this mindset, you may be tempted to reject my application. I would urge you, sir or madame, to question that temptation. Ask yourself, do I do things differently in my private life than I do in my professional life?

Everyone does. Who we are on the job is not who we are with our friends, who we are with our family, or who we are to people we dislike. A human being is made up of many facets, and only a few of those facets will be visible to any one person at any time. Ask yourself, would you like to be judged on the friends you keep, the stories you write, or the silly pictures of yourself you post if those facts about yourself had nothing to do with the work you do or your dedication to the job? Ask yourself also, if you would appreciate someone making judgments about you based on incomplete information, devoid of context?

I am a liberal. I support the decriminalization of Marijuana though I personally detest the drug and will never use it. I believe God is a distant force in my life at best, and get irritated at those who claim otherwise. I maintain a healthy, almost obsessive, interest in Dungeons & Dragons. I have gay friends. There is a picture of me holding a knife with a crazed grin on my face that my boss took during a silly moment at work floating somewhere out there on the web. None of these facts about myself have any real bearing on my typing skills, my customer service ability, or my driving ability, and I should not have to censor myself to please your sensibilities.

Therefore, I kindly ask you to disregard any information you may discover about my person that does not directly impact my work performance. I would ask no less of you, were our situations reversed. My private life is none of your concern. Thank you for your time and attention. I hope that we can mutually benefit each other in our work relationship.

Sincerely,

Anson Brehmer