Here’s a thought perhaps you didn’t consider... with the world wide web bursting with information on you, your resume may not be all potential employers are checking. So be warned budding fashionista’s make sure your social networking profiles are wholesome or it could cost you.

With the emergence of Facebook, myspace and twitter many recruiters are checking up on you before they call you in for an interview.  So with that in mind, does your social networking profile match what you want a future employer to think about you?  If it doesn’t; you had better start editing, because you may not be invited to an interview as a result.

Have you ever Googled your name to see what comes up?  It is by and large an interesting exercise and you may be surprised at just how much is captured on the internet and how anyone has access to it. Images can be even more confronting. Was it worth putting that drunken shot of you having an amazing time in Bali last summer on your myspace page? How would a future employer view this if they thought you were a potential hire?  It is worth considering. And it is not just what you load, it is your friends too and if your name is mentioned it becomes searchable. Scary stuff!

So, how do you protect yourself?
1.    Try to only use your first name or a full name alias in anything that you put on the internet
2.    On your networking profile use a respectable photo or an alias photo that is not too ‘out there’
3.    Make sure you limit access to your social networking pages to people you invite
4.    Keep your content clean and appropriate

But be aware, your social networking pages are only the start.  If you are mentioned in articles, photographed at events or mentioned on other peoples web pages make sure you are happy with the references and photos of you.  As a rule you should regularly Google your name and see what comes up,  if you are not happy contact the site or friend and ask to have the reference removed.  You can even contact search engines such as Google and Yahoo and have cached sites removed.

All in all,  be warned,  many recruiters are using the power of the web to try and learn more about you, and if it is not appropriate, your dream job could be out of reach before you even get an interview!