In search of a new job? Along with building up your resume, you may want to tidy up your social media image. A full 43 percent of hiring managers who use social media to research candidates have found info that has caused them to disqualify job seekers, according to a new study. This reflects a 9 percent increase over last year. 

To conduct the study, run by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder, researchers distributed online surveys to more than 2,100 hiring managers and human resource professionals nationwide. The results revealed that nearly two in five (39 percent) companies used social networking sites to research job candidates.  

When it came to questionable social media content that would hurt a job candidate’s chances, hiring managers reported the following as popular red flags: candidate posting provocative/inappropriate photos/info (50%), info about the candidate drinking or using drugs (48%), a candidate bad mouthing a previous employer (33%), a candidate's poor communication skills (30%) and a candidate making discriminatory comments related to race, gender, religion and such (28%). 

However, the effect of social media on getting hired wasn’t all bad. One in five hiring managers (19 percent) said they found something that caused them to hire a candidate. Popular mentions included seeing that the candidate conveyed a professional image, getting a good feel for the candidate’s personality and seeing that the candidate was creative. 

Even if you think your social media persona is positive, it can't hurt to play it safe and make sure it highlights your best qualities. When it comes to landing the next big job, it's worth the extra time to clean up your online act.