Most job seekers go out of their way to appear professional around employers. Students come to career fairs in conservative suits, carrying neatly typed resumes featuring complete sentences and correct grammar.

But the Internet allows employers to see the same students in all their blue-jeaned, tank-topped glory. Social networking Web sites like facebook.com, with their revealing lists of misspelled likes and dislikes and incriminating photographs, give employers a chance to see how potential hires behave outside the interview room.

Career Services Director Bette Scott was alerted of this issue during a discussion with fellow career services directors from across the country. Some had heard employers might be using the Internet to gather personal information about students.

Scott said the directors were concerned about if it was really happening.

It's certainly happening.

Employers Onlineo Facebook.com and other social networking Web sites allow employers to find out personal information about potential hires.o Some students are unaware of alumni's ability to obtain an OU e-mail address and set up a facebook.com account with access to student profiles.o Career Services Director Bette Scott sent an e-mail to inform students of the possibility of employers checking out their personal sites.o Some students said they planned to change their profiles so it won't interfere with their job searches.

Facebook.com, for example, is thought of as a Web site for students. But according to the site's Help section, anyone with a university e-mail address can open an account. The OU Alumni Association's Web site offers an alumni e-mail address to any member of the association. That gives 20,790 graduates the ability to open facebook.com accounts and check students' profiles, according to alumni representative Michael Dean.

Zach Schuler, who works to recruit and hire counselors for Vista Camps, said a co-worker regularly uses facebook.com to see what potential hires look like.

When Colby Crow, who works for Camp Bear Track, heard something troublesome about a man who had just inquired about a job, he "Googled" him and discovered information about "an incident" that convinced Crow not to hire him.

Whether students know it is happening is a different matter.

After Scott's conversation, she sent an e-mail to every student registered with Career Services, warning them that their profiles could be evaluated by employers and encouraging them to remove "anything questionable."

She received several replies from students thanking her for the surprising information. Scott said students don't realize how little privacy they have online.

This is a concern for students who view the Internet as a safe place for personal expression.

"Facebook is between college students and faculty. It's not for employers," said Janay Clougherty, University College freshman.

Cloughtery plans to apply for a corporate internship this summer. She said she would change her profile if she knew her employers would be looking at it.

"Yeah, I would change the stuff that makes me look like a goofy ass," she said.
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