Maintain your social media profile and still remain employable

Earlier this year I was invited to sit as an independent representative on a selection panel for a large state utility. The position was for a Web Content Manager and we spent a day wading through the applications and culled to a manageable group of prospects. We then sat through 2 days of interviews after which the most promising and suitable candidate was recommended and eventually offered the position.

After the candidate accepted the role there was a rather lengthy period where the bureaucracy within this organisation went through the process of probity checks, approvals, sign offs, form processing etc etc etc. Apparently this process was viewed by the candidate as unreasonable procrastination and began to voice their views to friends and acquaintances on Facebook.

A couple of days before the new starter was due to commence duties, their future department head decided to do a little online checking and came across their Facebook account. Needless to say the apparently no holds barred criticism of the organisation was not well received and when the new employee finally reported for their first day they were told that they would no longer be needed.
This is a classic example of what can happen if you neglect my essential rules of using social media, regardless if it is Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin or any thing else.

Rule #1 - Never put anything anywhere that you would not want your Partner, your Mother or your Employer to view.
Rule #2 - See Rule #1

The fact is that if you use Social Media sites wisely they can actually enhance you prospects for employment and the article from JobQuirk linked below provides some useful and common sense ways you can evaluate your social media footprint to determine how you might be viewed as a candidate.
Do you pass the Social Media Recruitment Test?