Job applicant outraged after company shares her bikini photo on Instagram as 'PSA': 'This is not doi

[Demovictory9]

https://www.aol.com/article/finance/2019/10/02/job-applicant-outraged-company-shares-bikini-photo-as-psa/23825560/

Job applicant outraged after company shares her bikini photo on Instagram as 'PSA': 'This is not doing you any favors'


Emily Clow, a 24-year-old from Austin, Texas, recently applied for a marketing coordinator internship at Kickass Masterminds, an Austin-based marketing company founded and primarily run by women that says it is "hell-bent on helping entrepreneurs grow businesses faster than they could on their own."

Clow says shortly after filling out an online application, she was prompted to follow the company's Instagram account "for an advantage over other applicants." When she did so, she says she was shocked to find a photo of herself in a swimsuit on the company's story, along with a piece of unsolicited advice.

"PSA (because I know some of you applicants are looking at this)," the company wrote over Clow's photo. "Do not share your social media with a potential employer if this is the kind of content on it. I am looking for a potential marketer–not a bikini model."

"Go on with your bad self and do whatever in private," it added. "But this is not doing you any favors in finding a professional job."

https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-10/33f292f0-e53a-11e9-be8f-ad4f4ea6e105

[Mosby]

1. This kind of thing is getting out of hand. Nt

[vercetti2021]

2. I'd be filing a lawsuit

What a bunch of dumbasses running that company

[herding cats]

3. This is why I keep two social media accounts currently on all platforms

There's my public life and my private life. Never the two shall meet. Which includes a slip of the permissions on my part.

Work social media is always as clean as my resume. Because by extension it is a part of your resume now. Even if we don't like that reality.

[Beartracks]

5. It's definitely part of the resume if you share the links on it.

I like the idea of having 2 accounts. Which is really what their caption suggests to future applicants: be a bikini model in private, not on your professional application. Unless you are indeed applying to be a bikini model, the beach pix don't help your job application.

So do they hurt? It doesn't sound like this woman's bikini shots have hurt her application. But sharing such pix is extraneous, like putting your hobbies on your resumé. Basically, if something advances your argument that you're the ideal candidate, it goes on the resumé or application; if it does NOT support that argument, then it's a distraction and should be left off (or, in her case, left un-linked).

=======

[herding cats]

8. That's basically how it works now.

Depending on what you're applying for, social media abilities might be figured in. In which case they will ask, not tell you, but ask you to share your account. If you do, you'd better be damn sure it's an account which mirrors your work profile because that's literally what they're looking for then. They're measuring your ability to manage a professional social media account properly. It's a real thing in the current business world, especially in any from of marketing.

They don't give a damn what your private one looks like, it's about having a professional one which suits your application.

[Beartracks]

10. Exactly. n/t

[Beartracks]

4. The company's caption in essence said, "We don't need your vacay pix."

Unfortunately, their caption was misinterpreted.

They weren't saying if you have bikini pix you are unprofessional and we won't hire you; they were saying bikini pix don't help us assess your professional qualities and skills so don't provide them to us.

And I agree: if you're going to include social media accounts on your resumé, only include the ones with relevant content, or maybe "lock 'am down" so professional visitors don't see the party photos and other silly stuff.

========

[MrsCoffee]

6. Doesn't excuse their slut-shaming.

Nope. Talk about unprofessional.

[herding cats]

9. Yep. They handled that poorly.

They'll pay for it to be sure.

She also messed up. You don't use s personal social media account to apply for a position in marketing. They literally wanted to see her professional skills in social media. Not her private life. They made the point in a disgusting way, but I understand what they were asking vs what they received. It was a rookie mistake on her part, but they dealt with it in a disgusting way.

[MrsCoffee]

16. Agreed.

[Beartracks]

14. I've re-read their caption several times.

It's fairly obvious their message to future applicants is: unless you're applying to be a bikini model (which we are not hiring for), don't share bikini pictures with a potential employer.

Job applications should be customized to include only information that supports your assertion that you are the best candidate for the job, and leave off "fluff" stuff that doesn't (like listing hobbies, or providing vacation photos of yourself at the beach).

But anyway, I've read and re-read the caption they placed on her photo. Where is the slut-shaming? Is it in the simple choice of using a bikini photo to make their point? For all we know, her Instagram could have been 80% bikini photos, in which case the company was probably really scratching their heads about why she shared it with them in the first place.

==========

[MrsCoffee]

15. They posted and captioned her photo and shamed her for daring have a bikini photo on social media.

And the excuse you are providing don’t fly being as how they have photos in swimsuits on their Instagram page.

I think the whole social media thing is stupid all around. Would did never link to any personal stuff for a job.

[Beartracks]

23. Well, ok I didn't go peruse their Instagram page.

So, yeah, that wouldn't make sense if they had their own pix of bikini people that aren't like samples of their marketing work or something.

=======

[Bradical79]

19. Seems the company really screwed up

By handling it through publically shaming the woman, there was significant backlash, and they ended up deleting their own social media account, and website. Not a great way to market their own marketing company lol.

[Rollo]

7. I don't know why she would still want to work there...

They seem like sneaky self-righteous assholes.

To their credit, they took down the photo when she objected, but that's beside the point. The point being the judgemental and dismissive use they put to her photograph - which apparently they were able to access once she followed their corporate Instagram account.

[Beartracks]

11. Sounds like she shared her Instagram BEFORE following theirs.

I guess she provided her social media on her resumé/application.

=======

[regnaD kciN]

17. Not sure, and that's one of the big questions for me...

Did she follow them, and find her photo had already been posted there. Or did she follow their IG, as they had suggested, and later found her photo there? Because, of course, if you follow someone on IG, they are notified of it and given an option to follow you back. If that’s what happened – that she was told it was to her advantage to follow their IG, and they used it to snoop on her and then publicly shame her for something in her private life – that’s pretty sleazy.

[Sapient Donkey]

22. I'm getting the impression she didn't actively provide it on her resume

or anything like that. Instead she followed them on instagram and then they checked her profile out. I don't really understand what they expect if insist applicants follow them on instagram. I'm sure these same people would be the ones who complain about someone following them with a professional sanitized social media that gets little use, because they would view it as disingenuous. I've been told twice that I raised red flags because employers couldn't find me on social media. Which, of course, raised red flags for me.

This company is total shit.

[herding cats]

12. Welcome to the world of marketing.

It's nothing but cheap sales with a revamped name. It's sleazy and rife with assholes.

Most people with just a BA in business end up starting here. Many who don't go back and further their degree never get out.

[Journeyman]

13. It seems to have come back to kick the company in the ass . . .

https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/kickass-masterminds-intern-controversy

On October 1st, 2019, Twitter user @SheRatesDogs[2] tweeted a summary of the situation and gained over 47,600 likes and 5,400 retweets in a day. Within hours, the Kickass Masterminds Instagram account was spammed with hate comments. Twitter user @molleylj[3] tweeted a picture of some of the comments (shown below, right). The tweet gained over 2,000 likes in a day.
updates on “kickassmastermind” within MINUTES of this twitter post LMAO GOOD FOR US

That same day, Twitter users began mocking the company's website. Twitter user @jake_shredz[4] posted screenshots of the site captioned, "These look like some seriously edgy 'entrepreneurs' that think woke capitalism empowers women 😂" (shown below, left). Many Twitter[5] users commented on the fact that Kickass Masterminds deleted their website, Twitter account and made their Instagram account private (shown below, right).

Interesting read. It seems the company neither kicks ass nor does it have any masterminds on staff.

Emily Clow "dodged a bullet" there, as they say in Texas.

[regnaD kciN]

18. Good!

[MineralMan]

20. Hmm...stupid company.

On the other hand, it's smart to check your social media account before linking it to an account at a company you hope to work for.

Bad decisions all around, perhaps.

[Sapient Donkey]

21. But what if she's an aspiring model who hired them market her

and these masterminds came up with this idea to make her name go viral? Oh yeah. I figured it all out. Maybe I am a bit cynical and conspiratorial. I am mostly kidding, but I honestly wouldn't be surprised if something like that does turn out to be true.

[MineralMan]

24. Who is still applying for a "marketing coordinator intern" job at 24?

What part of "Come work your ass off for us for no pay" is being missed here?