Looking for a job?  Watch what you post, because it could come back to haunt you.  

New research shows that more employers are checking out things like social networking and video sharing sites as part of the recruitment process, and the kind of material they find there can have significant effects.  One in five employers looks for information on prospective employees on the net, and almost 60 percent say that what they discover influences their decisions.  A quarter of them said that they had rejected applicants because of what they’d found.  

Still, a lot of people are under the impression that they’re somehow anonymous, which leads them to post all kinds of things which could potentially mean the difference between getting a job and not getting it.  

On the other side of the coin, there are beneficial aspects:  a professionally designed blog which shows good spelling and grammar skills and proficiency in your chosen occupation might tip the scales in your favor when it comes time to make that hiring decision.

The researchers point out that if you’ve ever posted anything online, anyone is only a few mouseclicks away from checking it out, thanks to tools like Google.  

Read more at ZDNet.

Isn't that why we use "handles" like: "Mr. Arsehole"....?

I think using  real ID info on the 'net isn't a good idea for a multitude of reasons and job hunting and job RETAINING are just two.

I'm not hiding, but there are way too many security risks to use real ID's, although in my genealogy research I do. Kinda pointless if'n I don't.

I dunno, maayybeee I'm just paranoid.

Quoted from paddyboyy

>>snip<<
I dunno, maayybeee I'm just paranoid.

Not imho, just sensible.  

If they aren't already, I would think Identity Theft criminals would soon use Google to find missing information for their credit card applications in your name.