College Grads Say Salary Is Less Important than Facebook Freedom at Work

Um, seriously? In this economy, they would turn down a job because they aren't allowed to use Facebook? That's just stupid. I could see maybe using it as a criterion to decide between jobs, if you cared that much about it, but that's a stupid reason to continue to be a burden on your parents.

When it comes to employment, I'm (almost) all about the money. However I want to know if they just surveyed youngsters in certain fields (where telework and high computer/ varied software use is common). I can't imagine a young finance professional or engineer, for example, turning down gigs because they can't work from home or browse facebook during work hours. But I can imagine a young marketing associate doing so.

Then again, the results don't surprise me. Even in this economy, human nature is human nature. If you can score a job with good to great pay, flexible time so you can raise a family, and is highly computerized with the ability to use social media why not go for it? I have a couple of friends who are in such jobs.

You are an adult now, use LinkedIn!

I 100% agree with Timaeus's comment! I would never factor in use of social media sites when being offered a job.

Who did they survey? The rich kids who don't need the money or the students who are in grad school to get drunk and laid?

It would be interesting to see what these students' parents thought of their job selection criteria.

Now if they surveyed students who are paying their own way through school and have an understanding of what a salary is, I'm sure the results would be dramatically different!

What planet are they on..!

As someone who has been out of college for a year, i can tell you those kids are dumb. To get any job when you get out of college is a god send. If someone offered me 6 figures, but I couldn't use the Internet all day, i would be all for it.

The demand for flexibility extends to device choice as well. 

• 81% want to choose the device for their job – either receiving funds to purchase the work device or bringing in a personal one in addition to standard company-issued devices. √Check 
• More than three-quarters (77%) have multiple devices, such as a laptop and a smartphone or multiple phones and computers. √Check
• One-third (33%) use at least three devices for work.√Check 
• 68% believe their companies should allow them to access social media and personal sites with their work-issued devices.√Check 

"I happen to enjoy those freedoms at work, but I had to earn it. I would never put these optional *privileges* above my paycheck. But I do agree that these Social sites do help a lot of people do their job better, as it has been my case since I keep daily contact with other staff, providers and clients. I also mostly use the extra devices mostly for work related issues and my son."

"But lets put the emphasis on who conducted the survey, Cisco, and their target audience for this finding, college students and young professionals, presumably techies who are growing up in this era of a more connected world. So I wasn't the least bit surprised by the outcome." 

And the world slowly slides towards hell and chaos.

Wheatley:

"I happen to enjoy those freedoms at work, but I had to earn it. I would never put these optional *privileges* above my paycheck.

The paycheck he used to buy his second monitor, which he needed for social networking of course... I mean if he never puts those *optional* privleges above his *paycheck* then why even buy a second monitor for social networking? Facebook is not the world Wheatley.

Wheatley:

Social sites do help a lot of people do their job better, as it has been my case since I keep daily contact with other staff, providers and clients. I also mostly use the extra devices mostly for work related issues and my son."

Wait... Wait... Wait, hold up...

Wheatley:

and my son."

You have a son, why didn't you mention anything about this before?

*cue dramatic soap opera theme music*

Also your job is surrounded in complete mystery, nobody knows what you do... nobody... What's keeping you from revealing what you do right here and now?

Wheatley:

"But lets put the emphasis on who conducted the survey, Cisco, and their target audience for this finding, college students and young professionals, presumably techies who are growing up in this era of a more connected world. So I wasn't the least bit surprised by the outcome."

Nobody was... And let's expand the focus here; Facebook may seem like it's connecting people but it's putting up a fasad of connecting people just so it can make a paycheck of it's own. Sure, people growing up in the digital age will likely have a Facebook account but that's more based on the fact that the corporations, bands, websites and even other people who were sent emails to join Facebook have Facebook accounts, sure; it's part of a more connected world but Twitter, Internet Forums and LinkedIn can also provide a connected world; hell Forums have been providing a connected world long before Facebook popped up.

It was good for connecting colleges but lets face it, Facebook needs work; everything that you do or like is public unless you specify so... And while you may be able to like the companies and participate in games/contests... The companies you like appear on the front page, so with all of the companies that you liked based on the contest or based on what you've seen, it makes you look kind of whorish. I don't like a company unless I buy their products, sure I may be interested but liking them without trying is just wrong.

It also has a funny way of connecting people; I mean you're encouraged to friend people you went to school with or are acquaintances instead of people you truly know. I have one very young person in my family who boasts about his friend count. I mean who cares, you claim to "know" these people but you have nothing in common with them; you can comment on their posts, you can like their posts, you can even chat with them about stuff but the people who you truly have a connection with is more meaningful. I previously wrote a detailed post about this in another thread.

The people who responded that social media is more important then well... a salary are probably the ones who spend most of their time on Facebook, have a smartphone with at least a data plan and spend most of their time sharing content they've seen with friends. While it is true that social sites can do your job better, I think that Facebook is just a waste of time in the workplaced; LinkedIn is less of a waste as it's more professional, lacks all of the fancy dancy stuff that Facebook has and has more professional users then it's competitor. I feel like more people should be using LinkedIn rather then Facebook in the workplace but hey, what do I know?

All in all, this connected world concept has mostly been a bust, due to the corporitization of the connectedness, the number of devices unnecessarily bought and the focus that Facebook connects everybody... I mean it may be big but in no way does it make it good but the young people of the world won't realize that. When they finally make a service that doesn't feel like you're required to have one in any way shape or form and allows for natural communication rather then shrilling, we'll talk.

Manduh:

Who did they survey? The rich kids who don't need the money or the students who are in grad school to get drunk and laid?

 

LOL-

Holy crap is all I can say. I don't understand this at all... I would take a higher salary over being able to access social networking any day. Choosing your own devices as well. WTF! most businesses get a huge discount from buying in bulk.

Most people don't need to ask about social networking policies most companies now have them in their staff handbooks and spell them out in interviews. Also as a network admin I would have someone fired for circumventing the filters in place to protect the network and rest of the staff.

my generation. is soooo stupid. seriously. not even surprised.

lol Asking if you can use facebook during your interview would throw up a red flag for me that you're gonna be slacking off and updating your status instead of getting the job done.

Anyone... a TON of people use social networking sites at my work anyway. As long as they are not compromising our network or doing something really inappropriate, we don't really care. (i'm working in network security now, so I get to see what websites people are going to :-) )

I don't think so but in some people, what is important is their freedom and rights that any other amount they'll receive.

This just shows the liberal democrat professors that overpopulate college and university campuses are getting their beliefs to the students they teach.

Work is work damnit. If you want to do personal crap at work do it during lunch and preferably not on any company computer. That company computer aint yours and isnt intended to do anything for you but allow you to do your job. IDK what is with these dilusional dumbnut kids these days. I went to school with most of them to as im a young one but holy crap its called work for a reason, it aint supposed to be fun, if it was it would be called play. Now this doesnt mean you cannot enjoy your job but the social crap unless it pertains to your job IE marketing, sales, etc for work purposes only should it be used.

Obviously some folks parents did not instill in them a solid work ethic much less any respect for the people that will give them their pay check.

Coming from an I.T. perspective from working in the I.T. world for 4+ years and being locked into a cubicle majority of that time, if you don't have access to social media you're going to blow your brains out by the end of the week. The reason why social networks are so popular in the work force is because people are being locked up into cubicles and they need a way of communicating with someone... and I mean ANYONEEE

I now work as an I.T. consultant and have to say run away from cubicle jobs if you can... it's not worth sitting there 40 hrs a week going brain dead... I might work 50 hrs a week as a consultant but it's 100 x's better than sitting around.

i've been working in IT for going on 8 years now (I feel like i'm getting old) and my current job is a cubicle job.

I stay off of facebook, google+, twitter, etc. and I am still perfectly sane... mostly....

I occasionally browse the forums.

But if I need a break from my desk I just walk over to the next cube and shoot the ....stuff.... with my co-workers.

If you're hating your cubicle job or feel locked up in there, then the problem is likely that you don't work with people you can connect with. I love my cubicle :-) I have semi-privacy and work with awesome people.

Wow...just wow. Is social networking that addictive? I mean, i have a Facebook, but holy cow. I feel like me and a few others are the only sane, hard working people in class. Everyone with a laptop, and I mean everyone, in my school surfs Facebook during class. It really pisses me off to no end. I'm studying to become a HS teacher, so I honestly can never be picky with my job. Even if I was in a different profession, I would never be picky with a job, unless I had requests out the wazoo. Also, believing its your "right" to work remotely is bananas. If you're heading into a job for an interview, you have no right to demand or assume anything about your privileges from said employer.

I swear, I'm growing up in a generation full of spoiled children. I'm in school right now, and I am working a full time job. Yeah, its at a Kmart, but its an income. There have been so many kids that come to work there that just stop showing up a week into work. Its infuriating to no end, and as time goes on, I honestly believe that all these wonderful advancements in medicine, technology, networking, transportation and everything else, is just being wasted on the shittiest generation of people.

I've worked in both situations for multiple years. Honestly, I get more done with internet freedom and flex hours.

Why? Because a job where they monitored my internet usage, gave me lectures for coming in 5 minutes late or taking an extra 10 minutes at lunch - I was tied to a clock. Even with mandatory 10+ hour days, I was not focused on work. It didn't even matter if I didn't have work. I was tethered to my desk until that clock ran out. I was overjoyed when I was laid off.

Now I work flex hours and I have internet freedom. My job is not focused on hours, but the work for the day. If I'm here 8 hours or 15 hours to complete it doesn't matter, it's my responsibility to get it done and meet a deadline. My mind is not set on who might be watching what I'm doing right now, but the quality of what I have to show at the end of the day. We manage ourselves.

Keeping myself educated about the latest trends is a big part of my job too. I don't know what you use your social media for, but I end up reading articles like this mostly.

Just because jobs are scarce doesn't mean people should settle for less. Non traditional methods of work do work, even if you have never experienced them for yourself.

humm I seem to make it through the day with out social media. I dont even use a computer at work (well kind of). 

KYang:

Coming from an I.T. perspective from working in the I.T. world for 4+ years and being locked into a cubicle majority of that time, if you don't have access to social media you're going to blow your brains out by the end of the week. The reason why social networks are so popular in the work force is because people are being locked up into cubicles and they need a way of communicating with someone... and I mean ANYONEEE

Eh... It's funny how we need social media to communicate with others when we're at the office yet we're surrounded by people everyday, people that we can talk to...

I'm not very sociable so the need for social interaction is not that great (sometimes feel lonely at times) but I do post on the forums alot if that's a consolation prize to you.

i would readily delete my facebook page for a raise

jonation:

i would readily delete my facebook page for a raise

 

Hahaha, ME TOO!!!

I wonder how many people commented on this during work hours, on a work computer?