Passed out on the beach at 3am.

Then, a great idea: put them all up on your Bebo page under your handle, 'titzmagee', where your interests are listed as 'boozing', 'clubbing' and 'the craic'. All your friends can look at them.

Problem is, thanks to search engines like Google Images, so can your potential employer.

For the rest of your working life.

As social networking sites such as Bebo, MySpace and Facebook gain currency, waves of Irish people, particularly those in the 16-21 yearold age bracket are creating personal sites that lay bare thoughts that they should often keep private and images that they could come to regret having ever posted. Never mind the usual atrocious spelling and grammar, as if that isn't reason enough to decline a job candidate.

Employers are increasingly performing online research to discover the things that applicants failed to mention.

"Keep your copybook clean, " warns Odhran Ginnity, managing director of Jobs. ie. "I have heard of some employers who have gone into social networking sites and not particularly liked what they've seen." Ginnity says that employers are more likely to perform online background searches on candidates for more senior level jobs, but he cautions that employers will do online profiling of candidates for other job levels too.

"For some jobs, maybe promotional work for example, it's probably not as big an issue, " added Ginnity, who said he often does internet research on foreign candidates applying for jobs in Ireland, as it can be harder to check their references.

In the United States the tendency for employers to dig around for online information has led to the establishment of outfits that will improve your online image . . . creating a positive personal website, ensuring results returned when a client's name is searched reveal a life of balanced enjoyment, professional decorum and achievement.

Jane Lonegan, managing director of Irishjobs. ie, agrees that people should be mindful of what they post online about themselves.

"People should think about the potential long-term effect of what they post, " she said, pointing out that it's probably wise to delete content that could be detrimental when seeking a job where there's a strong likelihood that the person will be 'Googled' by the employer. A recent survey by US-based Careerbuilder. com, said that 26% of employers have used the Internet to do background checks on candidates, while 12% have used social networking sites. The survey also asked recruiters about the extent to which the content found influences their hiring decisions: 63% of those that had looked at social networking sites said they didn't hire a candidate based on what they saw, while 51% of recruiters who used regular search engines to find additional information said they also didn't hire specific candidates based on what they found.

What's more, it's difficult for candidates to cite invasion of privacy if their life is probed by online searches. Making your so-called private behaviour publicly available means it's open season for employers to see how you measure up.

Some employees may make the point that their private life should be just that, and it doesn't necessarily weigh on their ability to do a job.

Employers, however, think differently. Wearing a suit doesn't affect your ability to do a job, but turn up at a job interview for a bank wearing shorts and a t-shirt that says "I bring nothing to the table" and you're certain not to get the job. Candidates may not agree with it, but appearances . . .

both private and public . . . matter.