Your online identity could cost you your dream job

The internet never forgets. With the way the social media is currently set up, every single comment you make or picture can be traced back to you. Now, employers are going deeper with their background checks for potential employees, never missing to look at social media.

ALSO READ:The kind of bosses we all love to hate...

Most often than not, who is portrayed in social media is far from the person in real life and while all might have been shared as light and unattached banter, chances are what you post on the internet could cost you your a job.

Here are professional things you should check for on your social media.

1. Groups and pages followed

Most social media pages are customized to show you groups and pages of similar content with what you were looking for on the search engine That in mind, imagine the picture it paints when a potential employer sees that you follow Nairobi Prostitutes on Facebook?

Tip: Keep your pages and groups to a minimal, if you really want to be kept in the loop with what's happening, you can send yourself a message with all the names of the groups and pages you want to follow and simply copy paste to your search button instead of publicly following them.

2. Pictures

Image is everything and that bottle of whiskey you took a picture of is criminalizing enough to make you look like an alcoholic. Rose Atieno*, a Human Resource Manager at a leading PR firm says that when there are too many people who qualify for a job, HR uses social media to reduce the number, "One of the things most of these young people do not know is that what they post on social media could be the determining factor on whether they get a job or not. I have asked someone before at an interview how sure the company would be that he wouldn't run off on a drinking spree as he had confessed to having done on one of his tweets. He didn't have a response and sure enough, we didn't consider him for the job."

Tip: Most, if not all, social media platforms allow you to share videos and pictures on a live feed where they are automatically deleted after 24 hours. If you've got to flaunt your wild side then use this option instead of leaving such criminalizing content on your profile.

3. Vulgarity on comments and shares

Woe unto you if you've been venting about your former boss online. Remember that those checking are also human and adulterated comments and content on your social media profile may give them a tainting idea of what you believe and stand for.

Tip: Keep your comments and status on social media as constructive and respectful as possible. Not only will this give a proffesional touch to your profile, it will also earn you marks for having the capability to hold constructive arguments in the office.

"We tend to disqualify people who seem to be very radical with their opinions as this shows that they may not the appropriate good problem solving abilities needed in an office environment"- James Mulinge, a Human Resource Consultant.

4. Personal information shared

This is meant to help describe who you are and what you put on your profile will tell a lot about the kind of person you are and what your priorities are.

Tip: Simply outline your professional description and leave out all personal information. This way you can market yourself and still give enough information for people who want to interact with you to work with. James says, "Your profile is your selling point, a description that indicates a dedicated passion for your line of work goes a long way to helping your case than a hilarious one."