Anyone in the job market should network and maintain a professional profile. However, for those who maintain a professional presence and a social network on the Internet, remember that what you share with the world socially today can adversely affect your professional life tomorrow. Even if you have a job that you love right now, what about two years from now? What will a potential employer find when they Google your name? If it’s something like this…
…odds are, you’re not going to be hired for that high-salary, management position you’ve been looking for.
So remember, when preparing your professional profile, make sure your personal profile reflects equally as well on you. And, though you may not be thinking about a new job right now, consider that potentially every personal photo, video, or bit of information you post or share via Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, blog, or email immediately becomes part of the Internet public domain, and subject to forwarding, linking, and posting elsewhere. And that means the party you enjoyed too much last weekend might still be hanging over you several years down the road.
