Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media applications can all have a positive impact on your career when you manage them responsibly. When you manage them carelessly or recklessly, you may ultimately rue the day Mark Zuckerberg was born.

According to a recent Jobvite survey, 96 percent of recruiters use social media in the recruiting process. What are they looking for? Immaturity. Indiscretions. Irresponsibility. Make sure they don’t find any examples of the three I’s by avoiding these social media career landmines:

1. Leaks of Private Information

You’re a superstar, baby! Social media has made you a public figure, but beware. There’s a reason why celebrities run from the paparazzi and the limelight. A private life is a good thing to have. Don’t depend on your
own discretion to determine what pictures should be kept private from recruiters.

Instead, use your privacy settings on Facebook and other social apps to display only select images and content to the general public. Anything you post impulsively, including lewd photos, contradictions about your employment situation, boss bashing, hateful comments, embarrassing revelations, emotional rants and memes, and personal insecurities should be reserved for your inner circle. The absolute worst mistake you can make is to say anything negative or share privileged information about your current employer.

Don’t take chances. Be more like Harrison Ford (recluse) and less like Paris Hilton (reckless) in your public social-media life.

2. Wasting Time at Work

Social media has become an addiction for many. According to Social Media Today, users between the ages of 20 to 29 spend an average of two hours per day on social media accounts. Eighteen percent of social media users can’t go a few hours without checking Facebook, and smartphone users have an average of more than seven social media apps.

While many companies allow occasional logins to social accounts, they are actively monitoring the network for signs of employees who are abusing their access. Think you can get away with using your phone? You’ll never know who is noticing and who is talking about your social habit. But getting caught isn’t the reason to leave your habit outside the workplace. You should avoid anything that jeopardizes your productivity on the job.

3. Poor Grammar and Spelling

You have probably steered clear of the first two landmines. But your poor spelling and grammar in tweets may suggest intelligence deficiencies to some recruiters, when the truth is you just have fat thumbs. Seemingly minor mistakes, like saying “your” when you should have said “you’re” can be just enough to turn a recruiter off, so don’t take any risks. Proofread your tweets and posts as if you know your next job depends on it.

Feel free to enjoy social media for all the life and career enhancing benefits it provides. Social apps truly are wonderful tools when used responsibly. Just be cautious and don’t dance like nobody is watching.