Social Media is Great — But Don’t Let it Hurt Your Career!

A survey by legal info site FindLaw found that 29 percent of social media users between 18 and 34 years old are worried that a photo, comment or other information they have posted on the Internet may harm their careers.

Their fear is well-founded – plenty of people have lost jobs and job opportunities because of what they did on social media. Here are 17 examples from Business Insider.

According to FindLaw: A form of “day-after remorse” seems to be evident. Close to the same percentage of young social media users – 21 percent – say that they have removed or taken down a photo or other social media posting because they feared it could lead to repercussions with an employer.

Refuse to be a social media causality!

Employers are watching: A survey by social media monitoring service Reppler found that more than 90 percent of employers use social media to screen applicants, with 76 percent of those using Facebook and 53 percent using Twitter.

The Internet is a public place: Even if you’re posting to social media from the privacy of your own home, understand that you’re putting information into a public place. If you wouldn’t say it or show it on Main Street, think twice about saying it or showing it on social media.

The Internet is forever: FindLaw’s Stephanie Rahlfs says, “taking down or removing a post or photo may not be enough; as the information may continue to live on in other parts of the Internet. It’s best to assume that anything that you post could live on the Internet forever, and to think accordingly before hitting the ‘Post’ button.”

Mind your privacy settings: Social media is always changing – be sure to check your privacy settings often to be sure you are in control of who can view your content. Check out this helpful infographic from our partner site CareerBliss on managing your Facebook privacy settings.