Toronto Girl Geek Dinner

Tonight I attended my first Toronto Girl Geek Dinner where women who work in technology fields in Toronto gather to network, dine and listen to a speaker from the industry. Women from a wide range of jobs all related to technology in one way or another attend. At my table women worked in marketing, usability, filmmaking and alternative reality gaming. Also in the room were recruiters, PR, bloggers and content people like myself.

Tonight’s speaker was the always awesome Amber Mac who spoke about her own experiences with personal branding followed by a valuable Q&A session with the audience. Connie Crosby Twittered the discussion as it happened.

The topic that really got everyone talking was around what should you post online from your personal life and how that could effect your work life. There was generally a consensus around the room that fair or not, potential employers make judgment calls based on what they see online, so if you’re job hunting, it’s best to be aware of what you have published about yourself online.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Are you careful with what information you publish online or do you think employers should know the “real” you even if that does mean drunken snapshots of you every weekend?

If you’re in Toronto, check out the Toronto Girl Geek Dinner blog for announcements on when the next session is.