Do you really want me to know that about you?

LinkedIn

A profile on this business networking site is a must for anyone with career aspirations. Potential employers will search for you on there, so you want to look impressive when they find you. Having no information or network can cast you in a negative light. Take as much time creating your profile as you would writing your CV. Provide succinct, relevant and engaging information - and then network.

Clients may treat applicants with a handful of connections somewhat sceptically: your network shows the circles you move in, and that you retain good relationships with past employers and colleagues. Ask clients and employers to recommend you on the site. Endorsements are extremely powerful and have the added benefit of exposing you to the networks of the people who recommend you. You never know when a contact of a former colleague may be looking for someone with your skills.

One word of warning - don't send LinkedIn requests to people you don't know or have never worked with. You want to be credible, and on this site it's about the quality of your connections, not the quantity.

Facebook

Facebook is a social networking site. Emphasis on ‘social'. It can backfire on you professionally.

A freelance marketer responded to a freelance position I advertised a year or so ago and while he looked good on paper, his Facebook profile ruled him out. Why? Among others, he'd listed his interests as ‘drinking, drinking and drinking until I fall over', with photos to match. This didn't score him any points with the conservative client who questioned his ability to be productive in the mornings.

By all means, use Facebook, but do so carefully. Apply privacy settings! Restrict what is publicly visible and what can be seen by people outside of your friend network. Consider who you accept as a friend (it's not a popularity contest), bearing in mind the information they will have access to. Set up a limited profile for colleagues, acquaintances and business associates and hide things like your photo albums and personal details (interests, etc.) from them. Click here for great tips on Facebook privacy.

Keep your wall clean: if someone writes something incriminating, delete it. And keep tabs on photo tags - remove the tag (or ask the photographer to delete the photo) if the picture casts you in a bad light. Embarrassing poodle perms and 80s Matric dance outfits excepted - we all want to see those.

Twitter

My top tip for Twitter: think before you tweet.

Ask yourself ‘will anyone care about this?' and if the answer is ‘no', delete it. There's so much noise on Twitter that you will really stand out if your tweets are well-considered. As much as people have found new jobs and clients through Twitter, they've also lost them.

Think also whether you should be sending that tweet as a direct message - for the recipient's eyes only. Far too many people ignore this facility, further contributing to the noise. Just make sure you have that ‘d' at the beginning of any vitriolic, emotional or flirtatious tweets, or you may cause a reaction you hadn't intended! [And if you end up having a full-on conversation via direct messages, take it to instant messenger (IM) - assistant editor.]

Blogs

Bear in mind that if you're going to mouth off on a blog (your own or a comment on someone else's), you need to be prepared to deal with the consequences. Particularly if you're venting about employers, colleagues or clients. If you really have to rant, then do so anonymously (although that's a little cowardly), or password-protect a particularly vicious post! But rather make the world a happier place and apply the maxim: ‘If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything.' Silence can sometimes speak volumes anyway.

Do participate in community chatter - discussions on blog posts can cast you in a favourable light, particularly if you have something interesting and valuable to contribute. It can even result in new friendships, collaborations and other work - as happens on some of the international freelancing blogs.

A final word

Although I'm advising caution in what you put out into cyberspace, this doesn't mean you should withhold your opinions or shy away from controversy. If you feel strongly that something should be said/posted/published/commented upon, by all means do it, just do it with professionalism - and remember who might find it. Big Brother is watching!