Your Facebook profile is your window to the world, so you'll want to carefully consider how to choose your Facebook login. The steps below will help you pick it out depending on just how you want to use the service.

Facebook is a great way to network, whether it be with your old high school buddies who you haven't seen since graduation, your college friends who you see every week, or your work contacts. Depending on your own preferences and how you plan to use it, there i's more than one way to pick a login name.

Consider who may be reading your Facebook Page in the future - such as prospective employers, publishers, colleagues, workmates and friends when choosing your login name and how you set up your account on Facebook. Just because you only need it for friends right now does not mean that you will not also need it for your workplace in the future. Consider also how casual or formal you want the naming and content of your Facebook account so that it will serve all your present and future needs.

Remember to carefully look over the settings in your profile, proofread them, save them and check them once more to be sure they work as you wish them to. Also go through the fine print in any agreements or changes in agreements so that you know how your account will work so that you can know what to expect and choose the best options for you for short and long term.

Note that there was an option for you to register on Facebook as a celebrity or organization. If this applies to you read that over and consider that option also when deciding how to register your login for Facebook.

Research anything that you don't understand, is not clear or that you want to learn more about in advance. Remember that your Facebook login could stay with you for your lifetime in your personal and work life and as your own circumstances change. Take the time to reflect on and make the best decision for you by consulting any needed resources or other people. If in doubt you can always do information searches using keywords from any questions you might have on the Internet, with other people, at other sources of information like libraries asking for help if needed from a reference librarian to find further shared information that may clarify your options for you. The resources and further information on this page may help.

• Most people get on Facebook in order to keep in touch with their friends, and use it as an informal way of planning events and keeping track of pictures.

1. Generally, your name should do the job for at least your close friends.
2. You may also want to put in a nickname, particularly if you're known by it more than by your given name. It's usually not a great idea to only put a nickname.
3. You'll also want to put up a clear picture of yourself, in order to help people identify you, particularly if your name is relatively common, like "John Smith."

• Some people get on Facebook in order to make networking easier for their career. There's a few things you'll need to keep in mind if you expect prospective employers to see your Facebook page.

1. You'll definitely want to use your given name here, first-middle-last. Nicknames are generally unprofessional, depending on just what they are, and what kind of career you have in mind.
2. As for pictures, you'll want something clean and professional looking, like a portrait in good clothes. You'll also want to make sure you're not tagged in any pictures that depict you doing something unsavory, like drinking or wild partying. At the very least, make sure your pictures depict you clothed.

• If you want, it's possible to have your cake and eat it too, albeit this will be a little more work to do. You'll essentially need to have two of everything to keep them properly seperate; a separate e-mail, Instant Message contact, etc.

1. For your personal profile:
   1. You'll want to set it on private in the Facebook settings.
   2. For your name, you'll want it much more informal; basically, whatever your friends call you, rather than your full given name.
   3. For the picture, you'll still want something reasonable, as there's still a chance that prospective employers can see the picture, at least.
2. For a professional profile:
   1. As before, use your full, given name.
   2. Also as above, keep the picture professional looking, with a clear picture of your face.

• A social networking site like Facebook is great for a number of uses, and you'll want to pick a login and profile picture that reflect how you want to use it. While your friends might appreciate being able to search for you using the nickname you earned over a drunken weekend, your bosses and possible employers will be less amused, so keep these things in mind when you make your profile.

• 
  

• Introduction
• Step 1: For Your Friends
• Step 2: For Professional Reasons
• Step 3: For Both
• Conclusion