One in five employers research job applicants on the Web

As the social-networking scene continues to explode, the who, what, where, and when of what you post on your profile becomes even more critical. Case in point: A new study reveals that one in five hiring managers utilize the Web and social networks to screen new potential applicants.

The study, reported by Reuters, found that out of 3,169 hiring managers, 22 percent of them (about 698 managers) used social networking sites to find out information regarding potential candidates. This is up from 11 percent, or 349 managers, since 2006.

Even though 22 percent may not seem like a huge number now, one can only expect that number to continue to rise. The study revealed that 9 percent surveyed were currently not using social networking sites for screening purposes but plan to in the future. 

Here's the kicker: About one third of the applicants screened online were dropped from contention after inappropriate content was found on their profile. Yikes.

So, who should be wary of these statistics? Those that are currently undergoing the transition from school to professional career. Social networking in college is a completely different animal than in the professional world. Pictures posted of last week's mixer are totally commonplace if not universally accepted in college. However, the second that these two worlds collide, what you and, more importantly, your friends say about you becomes a liability in the workplace.

I'll be completely honest—I have actually been doing a little housecleaning on my Internet profiles. Are you applying for a new job? Make sure you follow these tips:

First, privacy settings are your friend. Sites like Facebook and MySpace have tools to ensure that only you and your friends can view those scandalous pictures you took at your best friend's New Year's Eve party. Blogs are also a huge potential risk (there are cited instances of people getting fired from blogging), so make sure you set up privacy settings to keep tabs of who is exactly reading what you're writing.

Second, use search engines to keep tabs of what is posted online about you. You can start by using major search engines, such as Yahoo! and Google, or you can give Pipl.com, a "people search engine," a try. What you see in these search engine results will most likely be the same thing that your future hiring manager will be seeing.

Third, don't "friend" anyone unless you're absolutely confident that it won't have any negative repercussions (even then, it can be a risk). I generally try to keep my personal and professional social networks completely separated (Facebook and LinkedIn), but it can be very difficult.

Fourth, keep tabs of what people are posting about you. Facebook's photo tagging system can be particularly dangerous, as it can label you in the image and link them directly to your profile. I know it can be difficult to manage, but this is particularly important.

So do any of you have any stories about firing or being fired due to the Web? Or do you have any other tips to help prevent these situations? Let me know in the comments below.

Reuters - One in five bosses screen applicants' Web lives