If you’ve been applying for those dream roles, but never seem to make the cut, it could be time to look at your online behaviour. While it’s important to be on trend and know your social media channels inside out, your private behaviour definitely shouldn’t be weighing in on your promotion prospects. Between status updates, and incriminating photos, here are the five social media practices that could cost you your dream job: That Rant About Your Current Job… You might be incredibly frustrated and feeling undervalued, but posting negatively about your current position or the people you work with just leaves you looking unprofessional. Insulting or offending colleagues is never the answer – and it anything points to a distinct lack of skills in team building and management. Your in-office arguments (and your feelings towards colleagues) should never surface online... Definitely not the impression you want to leave on an employer. Your Profile Should Reflect Your CV It might sound obvious, but social media is the latest tool helping employers track the lies on CVs. If you never attended college, but are on a working visa in Oz for the months you were meant to be studying, it won’t take long to piece the truth together. While most people like to embellish their CVs, be aware that with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google, it won’t take long to read between the lines. Watch Your Endorsements You might think you’re just retweeting, sharing or favouriting a funny, interesting or conversational view, but realistically, you are inadvertently sharing your opinion on a particular subject. While it’s important to have an opinion and stand out for your own beliefs, be sure to do so in a respectful and clear manner. While it’s perfectly acceptable to have an opinion, make sure you know how to make it in an educated, professional way. “If You Want To Know Someone, Look At Their Friends” There’s a reason our parents always wanted to know who our friends were. Don’t be fooled – employers will look to see who your friends are if you are tagged in holiday snaps or seen to interact continuously on Twitter with another user. If your conversations are hilarious, but maybe not promotion material, stick to direct message and private emails. As for online tags, make sure to restrict who can add you and what is ‘public’ on your profile. Don’t be caught out by that wild weekend in Cork. Time Isn’t Always On Your Side… Posting on Facebook also comes with a time stamp… which isn’t always recognised by the person doing the posting. If you have time to comment on your friend’s pictures and events, update your status and upload your holiday photos between 9am and 5pm, it doesn’t look great on your dedication to your office tasks. It could also show a lack of work motivation. Scrolling through your Facebook, they might be concerned you’ll be as active on their time too.   It might sound obvious, but if in doubt, keep them out. Up your security and privacy settings across your personal social media accounts and respect the fact that once you post online, it’s there forever. Whether you delete it or not. H/T Red Magazine