Social networks in general were created in good faith. They help us stay connected with friends and family. Then again, as with any other tool, people choose how they want to use them. It may look cool to post pictures about your latest night out with friends, but how would a prospective employer feel about seeing these pictures?

How Social Networks Hurt Job Seekers

While it can be beneficial to utilize social networks as tools to help us in our job hunt, we must beware of the pitfalls of misusing these tools. Try to avoid the following errors at all costs.

Lying to Bosses

You sent an e-mail to your boss asking for permission to go to your relative’s funeral, but then your boss sees pictures of you on the beach when you were supposedly at the funeral. Not good!

Trash Talk

There are days when everything goes wrong. You had a bad day, and just want to vent your frustration. Instead of calling a friend, you decide to post a status update on Facebook or send out a Tweet about how you hate your job, co-workers, or boss, or how you hated the interviewer. This is a bad idea, and is likely to backfire.

Privacy Protection

Social networks offer security for their users, but these privacy features are far from perfect, and most users do not take the time to tinker with these settings. Remember that anything that happens on the Internet is for the entire world to see.

The Internet is a big place. Social networks are quickly becoming a staple of modern life. More and more hiring managers are using social networks to screen applicants. What we put or say online says a lot about who we are as potential employees. As a job seeker, it is your responsibility to practice self-discipline and think about the consequences of your online activity on your job search.

Use the Internet to help you land a job. Take advantage of this powerful medium. Put yourself in position to make your job search easier and more successful.