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Information on social networking sites can indeed wreck graduate's job prospects, experts have warned.

Steve Bailey, managing director of screening company BackgroundChecking.com, recently told Onrec.com that media and internet searches are becoming an increasingly important part of companies' screening procedures.

He emphasised: "Users of these networking sites don't seem to be giving sufficient consideration to the fact that messages written in jest, criticism of current or previous employers, images of their weekend activities and their personal interests are in the public domain and can be easily accessed at the touch of a button, throwing their career prospects into turmoil."

It is also worth remembering that in choosing 'friends' on sites such as Facebook, these people are given access to all your personal information.

There is no way of then preventing them from forwarding on or publishing formerly 'private' content.

Mr Bailey continued: "What is said may seem clever today, but not in the years to come when a candidate loses an exciting career prospect because of it.

"Bear in mind that there is nowhere to hide from an embarrassing or detrimental Internet history - you can not relocate or emigrate, it is the World Wide Web!"


A recent survey by Experian suggested that employees aren't entirely aware of employer screening procedures.

Some 66 per cent of respondents did not believe that employers thoroughly check the details on all CVs and job application forms.

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