employment- jobs and career

By KATHY KRISTOF Tribune Media Service

Could bad cell phone and online habits be damaging your ability to get a job or a promotion?


From e-mail to what the Web says about you, there are more ways to make career mistakes than ever, experts say. And in today's job market, there's little room for error.

Facebook is the biggest Achilles' heel of many young applicants, said job coach Jodi Schneider, editor of the DC Works website. That's because recent graduates have spent years posting party photos, never thinking that revealing costumes and photos of "Medical marijuana sold here" signs could raise red flags for potential employers.

Managers will almost always search the Web to see what information they can find on a candidate, Schneider said. Anything that doesn't present a professional image could diminish your chance of getting a job.

If you're applying for work, scrub your Facebook page. Also, reset your privacy controls to ensure that only specific friends can see your wall, said Vicky Oliver, author of "301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions."

Another way to leave a bad first impression is to provide a cell phone contact number that's going to force a potential employer to listen to your favorite Eminem song or your clever message.

Record an outgoing message that's simple and to the point. "When I hear 'You know what to do,' I do know what to do," Schneider said. "I hang up."

Also be sure to turn off your cell phone before an in-person interview, Oliver said.

If
you're applying for a job, get an e-mail address that's simply your name@e-mail-provider-of-your-choice. Accounts are free at providers such as Yahoo and Google. You can keep your old address for your friends and reserve the new address for work.

E-mailing a thank-you note for an in-person interview can also be a great marketing tool, Oliver said.

When on the job, be careful about sidebar electronic conversations, Oliver said. It's easy to accidentally hit the "reply to all" button, which could get you fired.

And e-mail only what you wouldn't mind sharing publicly, Oliver said.


Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=364&articleid=20101024_46_E3_Couldb219362