Some people take a pretty cavalier attitude toward social media, seeing it as a type of entertainment, where the things you post really don’t matter.

However, hiring managers take social media very seriously, and that means you need to be careful about what you are putting out there. In fact, a single tweet in bad taste can completely ruin your chances of landing a job you have applied for.

Twitter users need to be particularly careful because posts on that social media site are archived. This means even if you delete a tweet, it still might appear via a cached search.

All this means it is a really good idea to watch what you tweet. If you have already crossed the line of good decorum at least once, go through your posts, delete the dangerous ones, and hope nobody finds them.

So what kind of a post can get you in trouble with hiring managers? There are a few simple rules that you should keep in the back of your mind.

Think professionally

You should approach your personal Twitter profile as if you are sitting in a professional office. This means no profanity, drunk pictures, drug use, references to sex or personal attacks.

You should also steer clear of opinions so negative you typically wouldn’t say them in person. That can be a tricky thing to do when someone is strongly arguing with you or trolling you. In these instances, it’s best to step away, remember that others may be watching and keep your follow-up interactions on a professional level.

Pause before you post

Many people enjoy a bit of NSFW content now and then. Heck, Game of Thrones, one of the most popular shows on TV, is filled with it.

However, posting adult-oriented content probably isn’t going to score you any points with a hiring manager. A good test is to think if the content you are about to post would be appropriate to share at Thanksgiving dinner at your grandmother’s house. If grandma wouldn’t like it, it’s probably something you should share over text or happy hour drinks.

Avoid trashing former employers

Anyone who has ever left a bad job knows it feels really good to let loose, to tell everyone how horrible your experience was and how happy you are to be out of there. However, this is another one of those things you should avoid doing on your personal Twitter account. To a potential employer, this looks like you may not have appreciated the opportunity your former employer gave you. It also looks unprofessional.

From Glassdoor to the kitchen table, there are plenty of safe places you can give a review of former employer. There’s really no need to do it on Twitter.

If you have questions about what kind of tweets might turn off a potential employer, please contact Action Group today so we can help you with this and any other part of the job-seeking process.