Published June 19, 2010  Submitted by: Hollee

According to an article on About.com regarding job searches, employees have been fired when an employer construed their blog posts as sharing confidential information, making inappropriate comments about the company, or both. Posting company news, pictures, and even making positive comments about a company have cost bloggers and social networkers their jobs. So how does the same apply to a job search?

Consider the blogger that posted that he lies in interviews. Another job seeker's blog mentions that she loves to party all night, drinks to excess on a regular basis, and steals on occasion. Neither of these would thrill most employers or help one land the perfect job.

Should prospective employers be reading your personal information? Maybe not, but, if you put it on the Internet and it's readily accessible, they can and they might. Some people list their personal web site or blog on their resume and anyone can "Google" someone they're interested in knowing more about. There's nothing to stop a hiring manager from doing the same.

Keep in mind these do's and don'ts:

• Don't include a link on your resume to any site which includes inappropriate content.
• Don't list your blog on your resume unless it's relevant to the career field.
• Do be careful what you write.
• Do adjust the privacy settings on social networking sites.

For more information on how to protect your privacy and ensure a successful job search, refer to the following books at the Springfield-Greene County Libraries.

Guide to Internet Job Searching by Margaret Riley Dikel

Naked in cyberspace : how to find personal information online by Carole A. Lane

Your 24/7 online job search guide by Lamont Wood