When using social media, make sure the tool fits the task

I love reading Techdirt, the posts are almost always insightful and witty. A short post yesterday evening concerning the use of Second Life for job interviews had me laughing, as the job interview was for…wait for it…a position as the “executive chef for a large food-service company.”

I’m all for using social media technologies like Second Life as interview tools when it makes sense. As more companies demand that PR practitioners have social media skills (I’m thinking specifically of the rather prominent headline on this week’s dead tree issue of PRWeek: “Social media a factor in Hitachi hiring Ogilvy”), having an interview in Second Life is logical, as it could allow an interviewer to determine a PR practitioner’s comfort in the medium, his or her creativity, and the ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.

But a chef? Come on. No virtual food please, even if the calorie count is ideal.