Social Networking Sites and the Job Search
Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are great to use but there can be pitfalls to using such sites. Therefore, it is important to review and update your social networking pages and be aware of any information about you that is searchable on the web. In this day and age, it is not out of the question for employers to google a potential candidate’s name or to search a social networking site to see if a candidate has a page. You should always use your discretion when dealing with online materials. Your online reputation is as important as your real life one so you should take steps to ensure that any online information about you will not derail your efforts to obtain a position. Google your own name and see if you are comfortable with the information available. Also, take a look at your social networking pages and make sure that the details do not reflect poorly on you. You do not have to remove your pages. Instead, take advantage of the access restriction available to you by making your pages private and be sure that any photos visible to any visitor to the page are ones that you are comfortable having a potential employer see. Also, the following two articles are great resources:
Potential social medial pitfalls (from careerbuilder.com)
Professional Facebook Privacy in Under 10 Minutes (from lawyerist.com)