<p>A recent article in the newspaper shows that potential employers now research the background of new university graduates. This is not surprising.</p>
<p>What is different is that the backgrounds now may include looking at the Facebook or MySpace pages or Google-ing these former students. Comments about drug use, alcohol use, sex and more are now causing potential employers to pass up the graduates with this material on their personal pages. The employers wonder - 'is this for real? - we don't want to find out'.</p>
<p>Access to these pages is gained through other students' or graduates pages, so trying to restrict Facebook access, for example, to your university is not effective.</p>
<p>From someone who works in the business - do not put ANYTHING on these pages you would not want your parents/grandmother/pastor/rabbi/etc to see. This applies especially if your goal is to work in government or other positions of trust.</p>