How Your Online Reputation Can Kill Your Job Chances

Watch what you tweet. That's the takeaway from new research into job candidates' online profiles and activities, which HR professionals increasingly view and evaluate when making hiring decisions.

For example, a whopping 77% of HR and recruiting managers in the U.S. say they review candidates' "online reputation" information all or most of the time. And nearly as many say they've rejected a candidate owing to something they discovered within that information.

Okay, so what constitutes your online reputation? Here are some of the reasons HR folks cited for rejecting candidates:

• Comments criticizing previous employers/co-workers/clients
• Inappropriate comments/text written by friends/relatives
• Poor communication skills displayed online
• Unsuitable photos/videos/information
• Concerns about the candidate's lifestyle

Bottom line: Watch how you conduct yourself online. And if you're connected to friends or relatives who might make you look bad to a potential employer, cut 'em loose.

The entire online-reputation study is available as a PowerPoint file, and I daresay it's fascinating reading. [via Digital Inspiration]

More on BNET:

• Could Your Facebook Profile Cost You A Job?
• Guy Vs. Guy: Is Social Networking Good for Business?
• Need a Job? Turn Social Networks Into Job Networks
• The Top 3 Dangers of Using Facebook in Your Business