Can everyone see those outrageous toga party photos that are on your Facebook? Do you have “mud wrestling” and “partying” as some of your favorite interests on your profile? Do you constantly update your status with complaints about your life (or worse, your job)?

If you answer YES to any of these questions and you’re on the hunt for that spectacular job then you should check into Facebook rehab…and fast.

In a 2009 survey conducted by CareerBuilder, 45 percent of employers admitted that they use Facebook to review their candidates (which about doubled from 22 percent in 2008) and 11 percent plan to use Facebook in the future to check on their interviewees.

Also from the survey, 35 percent found content on the candidates profile to cost them the possibility of landing the job. Here are the top examples, from the survey, of why candidates didn’t get hired:

• Posted inappropriate photographs or information
• Posted content about drinking or using drugs
• Bad-mouthed their previous employer and co-workers
• Expressed poor communication skills
• Lied about qualifications

Go-Getter-Girls work too hard on creating flawless resumes and portfolios to have it all be flushed down the drain because of an inappropriate picture or comment on Facebook.

Before any interview, you polish your look and you double-check to make sure your resume and portfolio is perfect; so why isn’t that Facebook page getting the once-over when your profile is easily your online resume for anyone to see?

Here are a couple of suggestions on how to job-proof your profile:

• Customize your own privacy settings. Go to Account, select privacy settings. Select Customize settings. Change the things you share to Friends Only or Only Me
• Consider changing your name on your profile. Use your middle initial as your last name or use your middle name as your first name. How? Go to Account, select My Account. Under Settings, you will find “name” and select “change.”
• Make the pictures in which you are tagged only available to yourself: You can also do this when you customize your privacy settings.
• Delete any inappropriate photos: Think of it this way, if you don’t want your Grandma to see them then you don’t want a future employer to.
• Info should be short and sweet.
• Be smart about what you put on your Likes and Interests; no one really needs to know that you like “Your Mom” jokes.
• Watch what you say on your status: Employers will not be impressed with someone who gushes their relationship problems every hour of everyday.

With these helpful tips you should be on our way out of Facebook rehab and on the right path to landing that dream job.

–Erin Lucido

[Editor's Note: The following GGG Firsthand was written by Rashana A. Hooks]

Growing up, my mother would always tell me to keep my “eyes on the prize.” As an educator, she instilled in me that education was the key to success, and if I wanted to become successful I not only needed a college degree; I needed a vision of what I wanted to accomplish.

I’d heard about vision boards for a while, and I learned how to fully create one from an article in O, The Oprah Magazine. The purpose of the board is to help you see your goals and dreams clearly by using images and sayings/quotes that represent your aspirations.

Here’s how it works: There are three main elements on my board (which you can see above!). The first are quotes–motivational sayings to encourage me, inspire me, and lift me up. The second element is photos that represent my short-term and long-term goals, such as becoming a published author, owning my own home (including a summer home in South Hampton!), and increasing my salary in the next couple of years. There are picture clippings of Oprah, Michelle Obama, and Desiree Rogers to remind me that intelligence, beauty and being all around fabulous is so sexy. I also have dreamy pictures of sandy white beaches with blue waters to motivate me to continue to work hard so I can take beautiful vacations! Symbolically, the third and last element is a photograph that represents my spirituality. Its purpose is to keep me centered, focused and humbled.

I keep the board above my computer in my home office, and look at it for a boost of confidence before I begin a new project, or to help me refocus after a setback. Not long ago I was in a job that I was absolutely not passionate about.  I went to my vision board, and one particular quote caught my attention that day: “Be absolutely determined to enjoy what you do.” It was at that moment I knew I deserved to be happy doing what I wanted and I was not going to stop until I reached that goal. I’ve since left that job and have been freelance writing. Two of my proudest accomplishments since? My short story titled “GOAL DIGGER” is published in the anthology Souls of My Young Sisters, Kensington Publishing 2010, and I’m now nearing the steps to owning my first home.

Thinking about giving a vision board a try? Here are a few steps to create your own:

1. Write down your dreams, goals, and aspirations (Be very, very specific).
2. Get a poster board, small to mid-size bulletin board or a large sheet of paper (11 x 14).
3. Grab a few magazines, tape and a pair of scissors.
4. Search the magazine for pictures that mirror the goals and dreams you identified in step #1.
5. Place your selected clippings onto the board.
6. Take a few minutes to look at each “vision” and then envision yourself achieving them.
7. Place the board at eye level, in a place you frequent often.
8. Look at the board every day – and keep your eyes on the prize!
9. Revise your board from time to time, replacing completed goals with new ones.

–Rashana A. Hooks

1. What made you choose this particular field?
2. How did you arrive at your current position?
3. What is the most difficult challenge you faced along the way?
4. What do you like most about your job?
5. What do you dislike about your job?
6. How do you balance your professional life and personal or family life?
7. What is your typical day like?
8. What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
9. What kinds of problems do you deal with?
10. What kinds of decisions do you make?
11. How important is it that I go to grad school for this particular career?
12. How important are grades/GPA for obtaining a job in this field?
13. Who are your mentors or role models?
14. What qualities have helped you succeed in this field?
15. What was your favorite assignment or project you worked on this year?
16. If you weren’t doing this career, what would you be doing?
17. What are the various jobs in this field or organization?
18. Why did you decide to work for this company?
19. What do you like most about this company?
20. How does your company differ from its competitors?
21. What types of changes or advancements are occurring in your occupation?
22. How would you describe the working atmosphere and the people with whom you work?
23. What advice would you give for someone just starting out in this field?

Sorry guys for being MIA! Been a little hectic with launching the book, which is now available in stores! Check it out on Barnes & Noble!

Back with a new post next week:)