Looking for a job? Clean up your Facebook account first

Yes, employers extend their background check even to your social media presence. 'The prospective employer these days may be more interested in what your name pulls up in search engines than how perfectly coordinated your shoes are with your power suit,' said Robert Siciliano, a personal security and identity theft expert.

That's why cleaning up your online profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and other social media networking sites may be the first thing you must do to prepare for an interview.

Here are more reasons why you should start digging up your profiles.

1. Your digital footprint says a lot about you
Your CV is just a piece of paper. Employers would like to look at your personality and, unfortunately, your rants and indecent photos during college give a very bad impression.

2. Most employers use social media to research on people
While calling your character references seem to be a good option, most employers prefer to use the easy way -- social media background check. So make sure your online profiles are squeaky clean before you step into that interview.

3. Privacy settings are not always reliable
The truth is that privacy settings among these social media networks are prone to frequent change. That's the power of social media. Everything you post is visible to everyone but they're doing a good job at concealing it through privacy settings. Before you upload or type something, always make sure to think about the consequences first.

4. Changing trends in social media
Notice updates on your social network's settings from time to time? You should pay attention to that and change your settings accordingly. Social media is consistently evolving and as a responsible user, you should always be informed and keep up with the latest trends.

5. It is used for verification
After 'Googling' you, there's a tendency for employers to verify what they just found during the interview in a subtle manner. Employers are more interested about your personality and honesty is always a good virtue to start with. So if you're always out partying all night and claim that you're an introvert, that may be a big no-no.

Content courtesy: Edarabia is an education website in the Middle East.

Disclaimer: All content on this page has been provided by Edarabia and Khaleej Times is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information provided here.