It may be due to a difficult job market.  Or perhaps it’s just a sign of the times.  According to one article, however, 83% of recruiters now search the internet for “digital dirt” in order to weed out prospective job candidates.  Thus, inappropriate Facebook photos, unbecoming MySpace profiles, vituperative message board postings, controversial political statements, publicly available criminal records, or any other questionable information are helping recruiters eliminate otherwise promising candidates from available positions.   

But it’s not just recruiters who are doing this.  More and more companies—both large and small—are either doing their own in-house searches or subcontracting them out to investigators who do them quickly and inexpensively.  Employers are all too aware that the costliest and most expensive decisions they make have to do with hiring the “right” people.  And the flood of information out there helps them in their decision-making process. 

And it’s perfectly legal.  If you voluntarily provide information and pictures for others to see, you can’t complain if it doesn’t always garner the results you want.  Of course, if a potential employer hacks into a system or uses a password without authorization to compile its profile on you, then you may have legal recourse (assuming that you ever find out about it).  You won’t have the job, but you’ll have the chance to bring an expensive and time-consuming lawsuit. 

So, as I mentioned in my last posting, be careful in general, but especially if you’re unemployed and looking for work (or will be facing that prospect shortly).  If you have any doubts about posting something, this in itself should tell you that perhaps it’s better to resist the urge.  Remember:  When in doubt, keep it out!