After a monotonous day working at the local grocery store, the worn-out student arrives home and tweets to the world, “I have the worst job imaginable.”

While tweeting may seem like an innocent, healthy way to release stress, the hypothetical example above could lead to unintended consequences, according to Chris Tidrick, web development specialist for University of Illinois Extension.

Part of the hiring process for job candidates often involves employers actively searching the potential employee on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites.

“There are countless cases where people have lost job offers or jobs themselves because of careless, publicly accessible postings on social media sites,” Tidrick said. “With the 140-character limit (of Twitter), there’s more chance you’ll say something that is interpreted incorrectly.”

Tidrick recommended for students to not put anything on the publicly accessible Internet that they do not want a potential employer to read.

“This applies during their job search and after they start working for an organization. If it can be Googled, it can be viewed by an employer,” Tidrick said.

Employees should also be aware of their companies’ rules and policies about social media, and about what they are allowed to say about the company, said Laura Barnes, librarian with the Prairie Research Institute, who also works with the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

Bad first impressions can be formed solely on how much information about an individual is public, Tidrick said. The less that is shown can create a better impression because it shows that a conscious decision was made to be cautious and careful with personal information.

Tidrick suggested that people set their Facebook privacy settings to “Friends Only.” They should then decide on a case-by-case basis which post or piece of information they want to share outside this defined and known group. Facebook and Google allow users to group their friends, and then share content based on these groups.

“Facebook now allows you to approve any posts where you’re tagged by somebody else, so if somebody tags you in a photograph, you can actually have that room for approval,” Barnes said.

“A judicious use of privacy settings, in my opinion, is the best way to strike a balance between personal and professional,” Tidrick said.

While there are many cautionary tales about using social media sites, social media can still be a valuable and effective communication tool for students seeking employment or wanting to build their career contacts.

“Having your work online can be helpful as you’re proceeding in your career,” Barnes said. Social media may be especially helpful for students in marketing, business, communications and journalism, she said.

“Personally, I have my foreign language abilities, work experience, and educational experiences listed on Facebook, and I hope that these will interest potential employers,” said Kate Tyndall, freshman in LAS.

One professional networking site Barnes recommended is LinkedIn. On LinkedIn, an individual can upload one’s resume, and list previous work and academic background. Barnes suggested posting all the links of one’s professional blogs, websites, writing, or portfolio to one place.

Tidrick also recommended having a profile on LinkedIn.

“A smart move might be posting one’s LinkedIn profile URL on their publicly accessible information on Facebook, to steer employers looking for information to the right spot,” Tidrick said.

While social media could potentially be detrimental to one’s career, it could also be a strong, effective career tool if used mindfully.