I went through quite a bit of personal deliberation before writing this month’s article; was I the right person to write about the issue of personal information in cyberspace? Even after remembering that I brought a typewriter to college, I reminded myself that my goal and the goal that I have for this column is to educate and bring to light issues that you are facing, knowingly or not, as you begin, or begin thinking about, your transition from college to career.

Do you have an account on Facebook, Friendster or MySpace- maybe all three? If you are a traditional aged college student the answer to this question is probably yes. According to a recent Pew Internet & American Life Project study, one-third of teenagers who go online share self-authored content such as photographs or stories. I must admit I was a little surprised when I read that according to January 2006 internet usage statistics, MySpace is the seventh most popular English language site on the internet with more than 50 million users! Or maybe you have your own blog; these are also growing exponentially. What might come as a surprise to you is that employers are also gaining membership on these sites and are there for some of the same reasons you are: to make friends, maybe even with your friends. Why? Because you have applied for a job and they want to know everything there is to know about you before they are willing to make an offer.

Sound unethical or even illegal? Well, the ethics question I will skip, that is a column in itself. But when it comes to the issue of legality, let me remind you of what the fine print said when you signed on as a member of Facebook. Facebook’s privacy statement reads as follows: "When you visit Facebook you provide us with two types of information: personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected by us and Web Site use information collected by us as you interact with our Web Site…Facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspapers, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users…By using Facebook, you are consenting to have your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States." Starting to get nervous? Well, you should be if you are a user of any of these sites. No, I am not saying they are bad or that they have bad intentions but what I can tell you is that they are businesses. If you don’t believe me, then why would Rupert Murdoch pay $580 million to buy the parent company of MySpace? Consider yourself a commodity.

But I don’t put any "bad" pictures on these sites so I don’t have anything to worry about, right? Well, yes and no. It is true that you are never going to have to live down images that can last indefinitely in cyberspace but think about this: would you include a picture of yourself with your resume when you mailed it in for a job? Or how about listing your age and other personal information? I hope your answer is no, and for good reason. This information would be illegal for a person to ask you to provide, with a few rare exceptions. But by sharing this information on these sites, you are opening yourself up to have this personal information, and potentially a whole lot more, out there for employers to see. And it is not just employers; institutions are also prowling for information on potential students. Think about it: you have applied for a $50,000 a year job or maybe it is $25,000, it doesn’t matter, or how about a fellowship or admission to law or medical school? These institutions or employers have a lot to gain or lose by "bringing you onboard" so they want to make sure they aren’t making a mistake. Don’t you think they have a right to know that the person they are about to make an offer of employment or acceptance to has a propensity for getting drunk and being mistreated by his or her roommates?

OK- the goal of this column is not to make you feel guilty or overly concerned for no reason. Believe me, the last thing I want is an inbox full of hate mail but this is a topic of conversation and one that directly affects you if you belong to these sites. What I will say is that the practice of doing research on potential employees is nothing new. You probably have heard the term "good old boy network"; what this referred to, in large part, was people (men) getting hired because of who they knew. Employers wanted to be assured that someone would vouch for your character. Now employers can do this without even knowing who you or any of your friends are. Ever Google yourself? I can’t believe I’m the only one who has ever committed this act of extreme boredom. Well, employers have thought of this also and have been doing it for years.

Taking this a step further, depending on the type of industry you are pursuing, you may be subject to not only a Google, Facebook, MySpace or Friendster search but also a credit check. Say, for instance, you want to become a financial advisor or work in a bank. You had better be prepared for a look into your financial history. Once again, I am not taking a position on whether these practices are right or wrong, only that you need to know that technology serves many purposes for many people.

In closing, understand that not every employer whom you apply for employment with makes it standard practice to conduct inquiries about you into cyberspace. I would argue the vast majority don’t. But I also feel that you should know the risks you are taking by putting yourself and whatever it is you are doing "out there" for all to see. If you are concerned about background checks, do some research into the industry which you are considering to see if background checks are standard. But beware- don’t post a message on MySpace, Facebook or Friendster because you never know who might be looking.