In most jobs the concept of privacy is adjusted to suit the workplace rules and culture. Be aware of the degree to which your personal life is welcomed at your job. For example, using your work email to convey personal correspondence is rarely okay. Using Facebook, emailing a friend on your private account, or making private phone calls at your desk may be fine in some workplaces, but not permitted in others. If you're not sure, ask your employer for workplace policies to see what is okay and what's not.

Go back to your neglected LinkedIn account and update it now. Nowadays LinkedIn is often seen as an online resumé and there's no reason why you shouldn't increase your hiring chances by making over your profile. Update your profile photo, add your relevant work and educational experience as well as any professional associations, specialities and interests (you will be prompted to do this). Make contacts in your network and stay active by keeping in touch. You never know who may be looking at your online resumé and thinking of giving you a shot.

Sifting through job boards for the perfect position, scanning sites for industry updates -- whew! -- job searching can suck up a lot of time. But there's a better way to keep track of what's going on, than scouring the Internet each day. Set up a Google Alert for each company you'd like to work for and you'll be sent posts about hiring plans and other news. This timesaving tool will also help you to impress an interviewer with how up- to-date you are on company or professional news.

Googling your name does not mean you're on an ego trip. In fact, monitoring your online presence is a smart way to find out what would-be employers would see about you on the Web. (Even smarter is to let Google Alerts do your "self-searching" for you.) You need to know if there's a bad buzz about you (or someone who shares the same name) and do some damage control before it gets out of hand. These days a bad online reputation can spread like wildfire.

Whether it's a blog post, a Tweet or a Facebook page, make sure you keep it clean -- especially if you're using your real name. This doesn't mean you have to over censor yourself, but don't forget that your boss has the Internet just like everyone else. Update your privacy settings, and know that blogging about how you came to work when you were still drunk from the night before, joining the "My Boss Is an Idiot" group on Facebook, or Tweeting about how much you hate working are sure ways to make a bad impression.