Most people know how to use social media in their personal lives, but it actually has a lot of power to make (or break) your job search. Studies have shown that 92% of companies are using social media for hiring—and that three out of four hiring managers will check out a candidate’s social profiles.

So how can you tap into the power of social media (and avoid the pitfalls) to make searching for jobs easier?

Social media has become a fast and cheap "background check" that is often done before inviting a job applicant in for an interview. Employers search social media to verify the facts on resumes, to check out knowledge and attitudes expressed publicly (careful!), and evaluate communications skills.

1. Read the following article, paying special attention to the information about "What to Avoid on Social Media."

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7728-social-media-job-seeker-guide.html

or use this shortened URL https://goo.gl/vhSMzj

2. Google Yourself. What comes up first? Is it positive and related to your achievements? Or does it show comments that a potential company would frown on? Be sure to look at the images too!

3. Partner up and evaluate another student's social media profile (pick one, ex. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). Evaluate how they present themselves with images, posts, retweets, language, and content. Would they be a good candidate to be awarded a scholarship? Would you want to hire them as a new employee? Dialogue about what is inappropriate, borderline, and outstanding with your partner's social media presence.