Social media has become a great new way to communicate at work or from home, but it also can be dangerous.
Facebook,
for example, is an uncensored forum for you to say whatever is on your
mind, post personal pictures or the videos you want your friends to see.
For
IT workers who have a job, criticizing your boss or even co-workers on
an online site or disclosing any company information could have
negative repercussions. For those seeking employment in the IT field or
any other profession, your online site could be a gateway for a
prospective employer that should be cleaned up.
Employers today
are cruising sites like Facebook and MySpace to see what job applicants
have been saying and doing. And this type of screening is only likely
to increase as more employers realize that social networking sites can
be a window into a job applicant's background, character and behavior.
Even
though federal anti-discrimination laws provide protections for job
applicants, a Facebook page may offer a window into your religion,
race, ethnicity and even medical condition.
A recent survey by CareerBuilder
found that potential employers are ready to drop a potential candidate
like a hot potato if they find the following kinds of foibles:
- 53 percent said that provocative or inappropriate photos would be detrimental to a candidate.
- 44 percent said posted content about drinking or using drugs would hurt an applicant.
- 35 percent said bad-mouthing previous employers, co-workers or clients would be detrimental to an applicant.
Social networking sites do not have to be detrimental to a job
seeker. In fact, it can be one great way to get one's foot in the door.
These
sites or even blogs can build your visibility and credibility in
certain fields by showing your knowledge and creativity. The
CareerBuilder survey found that 18 percent of employers reported they
have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire
the candidate.
So just make sure that you scrub your online site
of anything that could prompt an employer to turn you down for an IT
job or give your current employer any reason to think unkindly of you.
By: Judi Hasson for 
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