When your boss joins your network

Social networking is an addiction for most of us. Facebook is a great way to reconnect with old friends. 'Tweets' let the world know what's happening to you in 'real time'. Professional sites like LinkedIn take job hunting to another level.

But they also raise questions about the blurring of professional and personal boundaries. You may have some of your colleagues listed as friends on your network or you might have accepted your bosses' friend request. In that case you have to be very careful about what you post on your profile, else things could get a little hairy. So here are a few dos and don'ts for social networking sites when you have your boss on your friends list:

Profiles apart
The best way to befriend your boss as well as maintain your personal cyber space is to create separate groups within the network. For this, check out the options and privacy settings that most social networking sites offer you.

A face to remember
Most bosses regard those who work with them as automations. Having your boss as your friend lets them know you have a life outside the workplace. You may even find things in common that make it easy for you to be one of the recognised people in the office!

No loopholes
Ensure that at no point there is a discrepancy between your resume and the online profile you have
posted. It could be something as basic as a difference in the name of the college you attended. At best, this would make you seem careless, at worst, a liar!

Don't crib
If your status reads 'My job sucks!',u00a0 the pink slip is definitely looming large in your near future. Cribbing and whining about your job, boss, colleagues on any social networking site is a big no no, even if your boss is not a part of your network.

Picture imperfect
A basic rule for photographs is, if you wouldn't want your grandmother to see it, don't post it. One also has to be careful of the company one keeps in the cyber world ufffd if one of your 'friends' has a penchant for posting
raunchy pictures, drop him, your boss could be judging you by association!

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