Significance

• According to a 2009 Harris Interactive survey, approximately 45 percent of employers screen job candidates online, particularly by searching for them on social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace and Twitter. Thirty-five percent of employers who screen job candidates' online profiles have chosen not to hire candidates based on information found online.
  
  

Problems

• The most common problems employers find in job candidates' online profiles are sexually provocative images or information, content indicating alcohol or drug use and negative comments about current or previous employers, coworkers or clients. Content indicating poor communication skills or violations of professional confidentiality can also disqualify candidates.
  
  

Prevention/Solutions

• Job seekers should remove all inappropriate, unprofessional or potentially offensive photos and content from social networking profiles and contact websites' webmasters to delete content they cannot erase themselves. Job seekers with major concerns about their online reputation should consider using an online reputation management service such as ReputationDefender.