Ever been less than virtuous on Facebook? Don't let your online persona get between you

Social networking sites are a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, organize events and share pictures and videos. However, while this might seem like a comfortable online environment in which to hang out with your friends recruiters are making increasing use of these networks as a way of vetting their applicants. So how do you balance both?

Access all areas
Whether you're a dedicated social networkers or one of the three-quarters of students who give networking sites less than ten hours a week of their time, it's worth giving some serious thought to who can access your data. Unless you’ve made the effort to change your privacy settings, your profile could be visible to any Tom, ?Dick or HR person and may even be searchable on Google.

Joining location networks on Facebook will also open up your profile to anyone on that network, not just your friends. If you make use of Facebook checking in feature, your tutor might find out that you were in the pub or out shopping when you should have been at a lecture.

You could interact with an employer on Twitter or LinkedIn prior to an interview, and then refer to the exchange when you meet the recruiter face to face.

Along with these, you could also consider setting up your own website or blog. This will demonstrate initiative and, if you do it right, could be a good way of showing off your creativity and communication skills, as well as presenting a suitably professional image. You can use this space to describe your achievements more fully than an application form will also and really sell your skills.

The web is a valuable resource and one you can have fun with, just be wary and remember that it's public arena. That way, with luck, it'll be a help rather than a hinderance when it comes to finding your perfect graduate career.

Make the network for your graduate job hunt
Remember that the web isn't just there to catch you out; it can also be your friend in the recruitment process. Half of the recruiters in one study said that the information they had found about a candidate online had positively influenced their decision-making.

Some graduate recruiters have started posting groups on social networks to make it easier for graduates to get in touch and find out about their organizations, which can be an excellent opportunity to network.

Twitter can be a good way to connect with employers you are interested in. You can use Twitter to listen to what your favoured recruiters are saying, and keep up to date with their latest news.

Pop your name into a search engine and see what comes up. Most social networks have a public listing that contains potted information from your profile and a link, This can be switched off by editing your privacy settings, and while you're at it, why not switch your profile for friends only? That way, should some clued up recruiter search on the site itself, they'll only have access to the content that you want them to see - and not embarrassing pictures of you looking the worse for wear.

Don't forget things like blogs forum posts and other web 2.0 applications such as youTube. If you've ever posted anything under your real name then it could show up in a search, so if you've ranted about an organization or expressed any views that are contrary to their policy, you could be shooting yourself in the foot. As such, it's important to get this sorted before you start applying.

Draw a line between your personal and professional presence
One option could be to use LinkedIn for your prof life and Facebook for your private life. you can use LinkedIn to provide an online CV that is readily available to employers and to join in discussions that allow you to express your professional opinions.

Meanwhile, you could make your Facebook account completely private, so that it is not even search..

(you can use LinkedIn to provide an online CV that is readily available to employers and to join in discussions that allow you to express your professional opinions)