Lil' Kim (the Recruiter) found me on Linked In...

Throughout my professional career, it goes without fail that before long weekends and vacations, I will have a "what?!?!" moment.  During my HR years, I observed my employers be served, I had nasty terminations to carry out when I was 8 months pregnant, or there'd be some ridiculously complicated insurance issue that would have to be resolved at 4:59 p.m.   In the world now known to me as "sourcing land", I still have these moments, although they're less urgent and more on the wacky side, and usually involve some kind of interesting moment that reminds you that "how" you use the Internet is important.

This past Memorial Day, I was getting ready to head off to Bermuda, (first vacation in a while) and before  leaving, I got a LinkedIn invitation.  Now getting a LinkedIn invitation is not unusual - I'm an open networker (you can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/kellydingee), but this one, well, this one was different, my friend!

I'm having another one of those moments where I need to protect the source, so bear with me.  But, let's continue.  This time, the LinkedIn invitation was pretty standard, but the photo attached was less than standard!  I had to look closely, and it truly looked like a doppelganger for Lil Kim was waving at me from the LinkedIn invite, and boy - she was wearing not much of nothing!

Well - what do you do with that?  The invite was actually from a technical recruiter, and I just had this feeling she had NO idea that this pic was going out with her invite.  I mean, maybe it's a good marketing idea, a catchy way to get people to respond, but it still made me pause.  The friends I showed it to - particularly the male ones, were quite eager to get an invite from this technical recruiter.  So, of course, I had to follow up on this goofy moment.  I emailed the recruiter back, thanked her for the invite and in my standard shoot from the hip manner said "what the heck is up with that picture?"  The response I got was "what picture?" Lil Kim's doppelganger was confused!

So, I sent it along, because this situation was just becoming too hilarious.  Turns out the technical recruiter's friend HAD cut and pasted her head onto Lil Kim's body, and on a lark several months ago, she had used the picture on LinkedIn for an hour!  But then she removed it.  Is anything ever truly removed from the Internet?  Guess not in this case!

Moral of the story- you are leaving footprints on the Internet every single time you log on, write emails, blogs, post to forums, post pictures, etc.   While you think you may have deleted an item, it may not truly be gone.  So think first my friends...think about your customers and what they may find, your recruits, your family.  Always try to put your best foot forward.

And as for me?  I can't wait until the 4th of July!

Editor's Note - Kelly Dingee is a Technical Writer/Sourcing Researcher for AIRS. Prior to joining AIRS, her experience includes sourcing for Thales Communications, Inc., and internet recruitment for Acterna (now known as JDSU).  FYI - the picture of Lil' Kim used above is the one I found with the most clothes.  Most of the other ones wouldn't make the cut at HBO.  Pontificate on which half-dressed celebrity Kelly is hoping shows up in her inbox on the 4th of July in the comments...

Comments

[Meg Bear]

I once worked for a company who had an inhouse contract recruiter who was inclined to wear clothing that i thought was more appropriate for club wear then office attire. Talk about uncomfortable.

[HR Wench]

Great story and excellent reminder: The Internets, they are foreverz!

[celebrity video]

That is to say there are invisible eyes watching over us on the Net ! Lets be proper at all times !