Protect Your Online Privacy- It's More Important Than You Think- Part 1

I have written many articles about social networking in order to build a larger professional network and also to help you find a new job. And it's true. Thoughtful and appropriate use of social networking sites can help you in your job search in many ways. But, it is also important to understand that even though it seems like you are posting information to share with your friends, you are posting it to share with the world.

Protecting your privacy while you are online is a cause that I am passionate about. I have written about it so much that I feel like I am the creepy old dude holding the sign that says “The End is Nigh”. Nevertheless, it is true. We protect our privacy during face to face interactions with all sorts of people, but carelessly disregard it when we use our mobile phones or connect to social media sites.

Information that you post to these sites is available to anyone who cares to look for it. This information, that we can all be so careless with, can damage our life, our careers and our families.

If you think that I am exaggerating or being overly cautious, take a look at OpenBook. Try searching for things like “my number is” and see how many people have their home phone numbers posted for the whole world to see. Not afraid yet? Try searching for “I'm going on vacation” followed by the name of your city. From there, it is just a Google search to find a telephone and address listing to determine which houses are going to be vacant. If you look just a little closer at the person's Facebook photos, you can probably even find pictures of their home's layout and the items they have inside. It is a full color catalog.

Of course, I am not encouraging you to rob people. I am trying to demonstrate how important it is to keep your personal information off of social networking sites. When you use these sites, it is important that you either keep it strictly business or keep it impersonal. If you want to share personal information or pictures of your kids with your friends, consider emailing them.

Protecting your information is crucial. To find out more, look for Part 2 of this series, which will give you the real truth about the companies you are trusting with your information.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Check out PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.