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olaser What personal information are you sharing in public via social media?

Imagine that you've just applied for a new job, and that you're feeling confident about it. You have all of the skills and education needed for the role, and your first interview went well.

So you're disappointed when you hear that the hiring manager won't be calling you in for a second interview. When you ask why, she tells you that she was put off by flippant comments that you'd made about your colleagues on a social networking site. That's not the kind of behavior that she wants to encourage in her organization.

Despite having the right experience and qualifications, your online reputation has taken you out of the running for the role. Reputation management is an essential part of career management, and your reputation now includes what people can find out about you online. Photos, tweets, and comments – even those posted years ago – can easily be found online, and they can come back to haunt you.

In this article, we'll look at why it's so important to maintain a positive online reputation. We'll then outline how you can use the web to present yourself in the best light....