Editorial: Remember Facebook’s eyes are always open

In an age when everyone has a camera, it's fair to say with one weekend of college behind us and another on its way, you've been photographed.

With the rise of social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, anyone with a camera near you can share your antics with the world.

As we college students attempt to break through into the world of real employment, it's important to recognize how we can sometimes be our own worst enemies.

Though Facebook may seem like a great place to chat, connect with friends and see campus events, it's also become a new avenue for employers to look into an applicant's background.

The most important piece of advice we can give any potential future college graduate: Check those privacy settings.

These tips are all located under the main Facebook page, under "Account Settings" and "Privacy Settings."

Facebook has a tendency to launch new features and technologies for new applications frequently, which can sometimes reset privacy settings.

As a Facebook user, you can customize the way your profile looks to anyone – friends, family, connections in your "network," and whether or not it is visible to the public.

When Facebook first gave the option of public profiles, it made profiles accessible through Google and other search engines.

The best defense against an employer finding your name in a simple search is to hide your social life from the rest of the world.

That being said, it makes sense also to set restrictions on what kinds of information different kinds of people can see.

Sure, your friends can enjoy photos of your antics at FallFest – but that might not be so appetizing to family members or potential employers.

A new feature recently launched by the social site allows other users to "tag" where you are at any given time.

This feature is known as "Places" and is Facebook's attempt to counter popular location site FourSquare.

This feature can easily be turned off by changing the default settings under "Places I Check In" and "Friends can check me into places."

These settings enable you to prohibit others from tagging you, for example, tailgating on a day you've skipped work.

There are countless incidents of people facing the consequences of companies, bosses and potential employers ending ties due to improper behavior on Facebook.

There are just as many debates countering the argument – that social media shouldn't interfere with business.

But with such tools available, it pays to be proactive in making sure your personal life stays personal.

Remember – Facebook can only display what information you give it.

Make sure your future company only sees your resume and not your drunken shenanigans.