Social media has become a great new way to communicate at work or from home, but it also can be dangerous.

Facebook, for example, is an uncensored forum for you to say whatever is on your mind, post personal pictures or the videos you want your friends to see.

For IT workers who have a job, criticizing your boss or even co-workers on an online site or disclosing any company information could have negative repercussions. For those seeking employment in the IT field or any other profession, your online site could be a gateway for a prospective employer that should be cleaned up.

Employers today are cruising sites like Facebook and MySpace to see what job applicants have been saying and doing. And this type of screening is only likely to increase as more employers realize that social networking sites can be a window into a job applicant's background, character and behavior.

Even though federal anti-discrimination laws provide protections for job applicants, a Facebook page may offer a window into your religion, race, ethnicity and even medical condition.

A recent survey by CareerBuilder found that potential employers are ready to drop a potential candidate like a hot potato if they find the following kinds of foibles:

• 53 percent said that provocative or inappropriate photos would be detrimental to a candidate.
• 44 percent said posted content about drinking or using drugs would hurt an applicant.
• 35 percent said bad-mouthing previous employers, co-workers or clients would be detrimental to an applicant.

Social networking sites do not have to be detrimental to a job seeker. In fact, it can be one great way to get one's foot in the door.

These sites or even blogs can build your visibility and credibility in certain fields by showing your knowledge and creativity. The CareerBuilder survey found that 18 percent of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire the candidate.

So just make sure that you scrub your online site of anything that could prompt an employer to turn you down for an IT job or give your current employer any reason to think unkindly of you. - Judi