Clean It Up!

Searching for a job can be tricky, but it can be even more challenging when your social media accounts are bringing you down behind the scenes. If you’re job hunting, or even if you aren’t, keeping your social media accounts free of inappropriate content is always a good idea. About.com offers these tips for social-savvy jobseekers:

• Don't post anything you wouldn't want your current employer or a prospective employer to see.
• Avoid any comments that could be interpreted as racist, sexist or discriminatory in any way.
• Remove or ‘untag’ photos of you that show you in an unfavorable light. If you prefer not to, then be sure to carefully manage your album privacy settings. These control which people can see which of your albums.
• Look at your wall. Remove comments from your friends that seem distasteful.
• Look at the apps on your profile. Does their purpose portray you well? There are more than a few apps that may not be the best ones to have on your page when you're looking to get a job.
• What groups are you a member of? If you belong to "It's 5 a.m., I'm drunk, and on Facebook" or any similar groups, you probably want to leave them.

Facebook Privacy Settings

• Make sure only friends can see your photos, religious and political views, and posts.
• Within the privacy settings, you are given an opportunity to preview your profile as an outsider. Take advantage of this and double-check what others can see.