STAMFORD, Conn., Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — With employers and schools increasingly using Facebook and other social media outlets to check backgrounds, and with identity theft always an issue, a smart New Year's resolution is to think twice about what you post on Facebook.
"What goes on your Facebook page and other Internet sites stays available forever," cautions Chris Procopis, a Stamford-based research investigator. "A picture of you drunk at a frat party can follow you around for the rest of your life."
Here is a list of what not to post online if you ever consider applying for a job or a school in the future:
- Pictures of yourself engaged in illegal or immoral acts.
- Stories that depict poor judgment or unwanted behavior on your part.
- Links to other pages that show content similar to points 1 and 2.
- Negative comments about your current employer (even if you feel these comments are legitimate, future employers will be turned off by what they see).
Less is more when posting information about yourself and your family:
- Don't post your date of birth, social security number, home address, or telephone number (especially if it is unlisted).
- Don't post your child's date of birth or birth dates of other family members.
- Don't post times you leave your house unattended (e.g., taking your child to school every day).
- Don't post personal information about you or your family.
- Don't post passwords, home security codes or other sensitive information.
Chris Procopis' experience as a professional investigator has given him an appreciation of the Internet as an information source and what types of posts can impact people today and in the future. He is Managing Director of LexPro Research (http://lexproresearch.com/) a leading provider of domestic and international risk mitigation background checks, and business intelligence services to the corporate, financial, and legal communities.
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