As a Mum of 2 sons who have just started to post on social media sites, yesterday evening I reinforced a lesson to them.

Think carefully before you post, even on private settings. There are no guarantees - your post will be out there on the web somewhere and if someone is prepared to look hard enough in the future, it will be found. Even if a post is deleted, someone may have taken a screenshot before you have removed a post. Check your settings for privacy.

Assume everything is public.

Do you really want to share having a bad day at work or a photo which you might regret in a year or two? Don’t post embarrassing things that you would not want shared – this is your online reputation. An example of this type of situation occurred only yesterday, as I write this. We were advised of a situation by a candidate, who was unsuccessful with a particular job opportunity, as they had posted what was considered inappropriate material over 6 years ago! Many hiring managers are looking at what you post. Protect your personal brand carefully.